# Is "Cape Cod" by Henry David Thoreau a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Cape Cod by Henry David Thoreau (Ticknor and Fields, 1865) is identified by: First edition, Boston: Ticknor and Fields, 1865, in an edition BAL records as 2,040 copies (Borst gives 2,000); collates [i-viii],1-252pp, approximately 5 x 7.5 inches.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, Boston: Ticknor and Fields, 1865, in an edition BAL records as 2,040 copies (Borst gives 2,000); collates [i-viii],1-252pp, approximately 5 x 7.5 inches
- Edited posthumously by Ellery Channing and Thoreau's sister Sophia
- The first edition was issued concurrently in at least five cloth bindings (BAL's grains Z, P, BD, EC, and TR) in green, purple, and brown, with or without a wreath stamped on the covers, and with the spine identifying Thoreau as either "Author of Walden" or "Author of Excursions"; bibliographers assign no priority among these binding states
- Some copies carry an inserted Ticknor and Fields catalogue dated December 1864 at the rear, which is likewise not considered bibliographically significant
- Standard references: Borst A5.1.a
- BAL 20115
- Publisher imprint reads Ticknor and Fields

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Henry David Thoreau |
| Publisher | Ticknor and Fields |
| Year | 1865 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, Boston: Ticknor and Fields, 1865, in an edition BAL records as 2,040 copies (Borst gives 2,000); collates [i-viii],1-252pp… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition, Boston: Ticknor and Fields, 1865, in an edition BAL records as 2,040 copies (Borst gives 2,000); collates [i-viii],1-252pp, approximately 5 x 7.5 inches. Edited posthumously by Ellery Channing and Thoreau's sister Sophia. The first edition was issued concurrently in at least five cloth bindings (BAL's grains Z, P, BD, EC, and TR) in green, purple, and brown, with or without a wreath stamped on the covers, and with the spine identifying Thoreau as either "Author of Walden" or "Author of Excursions"; bibliographers assign no priority among these binding states. Some copies carry an inserted Ticknor and Fields catalogue dated December 1864 at the rear, which is likewise not considered bibliographically significant. Standard references: Borst A5.1.a; BAL 20115.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Cape Cod* by Henry David Thoreau a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/cape-cod
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.