# Is "Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile" by Herman Melville a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile by Herman Melville (G. P. Putnam & Co., 1855) is identified by: First serialized in Putnam's Monthly Magazine from July 1854 to March 1855, then published in book form by G. The Putnam's Monthly serialization (July 1854-March 1855) precedes the March 1855 first book publication; the magazine appearance is the true first publication of the text, though the book form is what collectors generally seek as the 'first edition.'

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First serialized in Putnam's Monthly Magazine from July 1854 to March 1855, then published in book form by G. P. Putnam & Co., New York, in March 1855
- Original binding is tan cloth boards stamped in blind with a decorative motif, titles ruled in gilt on the spine
- Identification rests on the Putnam 1855 book-form imprint together with BAL's recorded first-printing points, distinguishing it from the later, distinct 1923-dated limited edition sometimes confused with it in dealer listings
- Publisher imprint reads G. P. Putnam & Co.
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Herman Melville |
| Publisher | G. P. Putnam & Co. |
| Year | 1855 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First serialized in Putnam's Monthly Magazine from July 1854 to March 1855, then published in book form by G. P. Putnam & Co., New York, in… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First serialized in Putnam's Monthly Magazine from July 1854 to March 1855, then published in book form by G. P. Putnam & Co., New York, in March 1855. Original binding is tan cloth boards stamped in blind with a decorative motif, titles ruled in gilt on the spine. Identification rests on the Putnam 1855 book-form imprint together with BAL's recorded first-printing points, distinguishing it from the later, distinct 1923-dated limited edition sometimes confused with it in dealer listings.

## Is this the true first?
The Putnam's Monthly serialization (July 1854-March 1855) precedes the March 1855 first book publication; the magazine appearance is the true first publication of the text, though the book form is what collectors generally seek as the 'first edition.'

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A 1923 limited edition (BAL 13680) reprints the text in a small press run for collectors; it postdates the 1855 first edition by nearly seventy years and should not be mistaken for it despite occasionally appearing in the same dealer categories.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile* by Herman Melville a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/israel-potter-his-fifty-years-of-exile
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.