# Is "Following the Equator" by Mark Twain a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Following the Equator by Mark Twain (American Publishing Company, 1897) is identified by: First state points per BAL 3451 include the signature mark '11' on page 161 and a single Hartford imprint on the title page; BAL records no priority between copies with or without the '11' mark, though the single Hartford imprint is generally treated as the preferred first-state point over copies bearing a secondary imprint. The British counterpart, titled More Tramps Abroad (Chatto & Windus, 1897), may have been issued a few days before the American edition, but dealer sources describe the exact precedence as unclear; both are treated as co-first editions under their respective titles.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First state points per BAL 3451 include the signature mark '11' on page 161 and a single Hartford imprint on the title page
- BAL records no priority between copies with or without the '11' mark, though the single Hartford imprint is generally treated as the preferred first-state point over copies bearing a secondary imprint
- The royal octavo volume runs 712 pages and carries 193 illustrations contributed by eleven different artists and photographers, printed throughout on plate paper
- It is bound in blue pictorial cloth with a multi-color elephant design stamped on the front board and gilt spine decoration, and opens with a tissue-guarded photogravure frontispiece portrait of Twain on deck
- Publisher imprint reads American Publishing Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Mark Twain |
| Publisher | American Publishing Company |
| Year | 1897 |
| True first | British edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First state points per BAL 3451 include the signature mark '11' on page 161 and a single Hartford imprint on the title page |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First state points per BAL 3451 include the signature mark '11' on page 161 and a single Hartford imprint on the title page; BAL records no priority between copies with or without the '11' mark, though the single Hartford imprint is generally treated as the preferred first-state point over copies bearing a secondary imprint. The royal octavo volume runs 712 pages and carries 193 illustrations contributed by eleven different artists and photographers, printed throughout on plate paper. It is bound in blue pictorial cloth with a multi-color elephant design stamped on the front board and gilt spine decoration, and opens with a tissue-guarded photogravure frontispiece portrait of Twain on deck.

## Is this the true first?
The British counterpart, titled More Tramps Abroad (Chatto & Windus, 1897), may have been issued a few days before the American edition, but dealer sources describe the exact precedence as unclear; both are treated as co-first editions under their respective titles.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Following the Equator* by Mark Twain a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/following-the-equator
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.