# Is "A Modern Instance" by William Dean Howells a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Modern Instance by William Dean Howells (James R. Osgood & Co., 1882) is identified by: First edition in book form, James R. US true first, 1882, James R.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition in book form, James R. Osgood & Co., Boston, 1882 (published October 7, 1882)
- Octavo, 514 pages, with a blank leaf following page 514 in the first printing
- Publisher's green cloth stamped in black and gilt, with ecru endpapers
- BAL 9602
- Publisher imprint reads James R. Osgood & Co.
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | William Dean Howells |
| Publisher | James R. Osgood & Co. |
| Year | 1882 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition in book form, James R. Osgood & Co., Boston, 1882 (published October 7, 1882) |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition in book form, James R. Osgood & Co., Boston, 1882 (published October 7, 1882). Octavo, 514 pages, with a blank leaf following page 514 in the first printing. Publisher's green cloth stamped in black and gilt, with ecru endpapers. BAL 9602.

## Is this the true first?
US true first, 1882, James R. Osgood & Co., Boston. A separate English (David Douglas, Edinburgh) edition exists; the Boston Osgood is the recognized first and standard first edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Houghton and reprint editions postdate; the genuine first has the 1882 Osgood imprint, the 514-page collation with the terminal blank leaf, and green cloth stamped in black and gilt.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Modern Instance* by William Dean Howells a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-modern-instance
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.