first edition
1874
by Verne, Jules
1874. With Fifty-Two Illustrations by Riou. New York: Scribner Armstrong and Co., 1874. Original green cloth pictorially decorated in black and gilt.
First American Edition (to be printed in America) of Jules Verne's second book, preceded only by FIVE WEEKS IN A BALLOON. The original French edition came out in 1864, and the British edition came out in November 1871 (dated 1872) -- a very few of these copies were sent to America with a Scribner, Welford & Co. title leaf. This first American edition then came out in November 1873, though dated 1874. Almost a year later Scribner Armstrong published this title in a "deluxe" edition (undated), sold by subscription, on heavy paper stock in a beautiful gilt-pictorial binding -- which today we see more frequently than this first American edition. (After SA&Co's first American edition, Henry Shepard of Boston came out with a cheaper production -- against which SA&Co retaliated with another edition, cheaper still; incidentally, the 1872 UK edition is truly rare.) Though this tale was most-recently filmed in 2008, the most enduring version is the 1959 one starring James Mason and (cough cough) Pat Boone. This first American edition was issued in blue, green or orange cloth, without precedence. This copy, in green, is in good-to-very good condition: there is general rubbing at the extremities, a short nick in the spine head, the original peach endpapers are cracked and the rear free one is rather creased; there is also a dampstain visible only on the edge of the leaves. That said, the binding is quite bright and the book has not been rebacked or otherwise "improved." Since a fine copy (if such is still out there somewhere) would cost $12,500 or more, this is a much-less-expensive opportunity to acquire the first American edition in its original state. Taves & Michaluk V002. (Inventory #: 15654)
First American Edition (to be printed in America) of Jules Verne's second book, preceded only by FIVE WEEKS IN A BALLOON. The original French edition came out in 1864, and the British edition came out in November 1871 (dated 1872) -- a very few of these copies were sent to America with a Scribner, Welford & Co. title leaf. This first American edition then came out in November 1873, though dated 1874. Almost a year later Scribner Armstrong published this title in a "deluxe" edition (undated), sold by subscription, on heavy paper stock in a beautiful gilt-pictorial binding -- which today we see more frequently than this first American edition. (After SA&Co's first American edition, Henry Shepard of Boston came out with a cheaper production -- against which SA&Co retaliated with another edition, cheaper still; incidentally, the 1872 UK edition is truly rare.) Though this tale was most-recently filmed in 2008, the most enduring version is the 1959 one starring James Mason and (cough cough) Pat Boone. This first American edition was issued in blue, green or orange cloth, without precedence. This copy, in green, is in good-to-very good condition: there is general rubbing at the extremities, a short nick in the spine head, the original peach endpapers are cracked and the rear free one is rather creased; there is also a dampstain visible only on the edge of the leaves. That said, the binding is quite bright and the book has not been rebacked or otherwise "improved." Since a fine copy (if such is still out there somewhere) would cost $12,500 or more, this is a much-less-expensive opportunity to acquire the first American edition in its original state. Taves & Michaluk V002. (Inventory #: 15654)
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