The points of issue
True first is the Russian first book edition, 'Zapiski okhotnika,' two volumes, printed at the University Printing House (Universitetskaya Tipografiya), Moscow, 1852. It collects the hunting sketches first serialized in the journal 'Sovremennik' (The Contemporary) from 1847 to 1851, beginning with 'Khor and Kalinych' (January 1847). English-language appearances such as 'A Sportsman's Sketches' are later translations and are therefore 'first thus.'
Is this the true first?
True first equals the 1852 Russian first edition in two volumes. The most collectible English appearance is Constance Garnett's two-volume Heinemann translation (1895), itself a 'first thus' in English.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
All English-language printings are translations and therefore 'first thus'; do not conflate any English edition with the 1852 Russian true first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of A Sportsman's Sketches (Sketches from a Hunter's Album) a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: True first is the Russian first book edition, 'Zapiski okhotnika,' two volumes, printed at the University Printing House (Universitetskaya Tipografiya), Moscow, 1852. It collects the hunting sketches first serialized in the journal 'Sovremennik' (The Contemporary) from 1847 to 1851, beginning with 'Khor and Kalinych' (January 1847). English-language appearances such as 'A Sportsman's Sketches' are later translations and are therefore 'first thus.'
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. True first equals the 1852 Russian first edition in two volumes. The most collectible English appearance is Constance Garnett's two-volume Heinemann translation (1895), itself a 'first thus' in English.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
All English-language printings are translations and therefore 'first thus'; do not conflate any English edition with the 1852 Russian true first.
I have a first edition of A Sportsman's Sketches (Sketches from a Hunter's Album) — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.