The points of issue
US first edition, James R. Osgood & Co., Boston, 1883. The three classic first-state points are: the tailpiece on page 441 showing Mark Twain's head emerging from flames atop an urn (later suppressed at Mrs. Clemens's request as too morbid); the caption on page 443 reading 'The St. Louis Hotel'; and the uncorrected reading 'it it' on page 444. Illustrated, issued in publisher's pictorial cloth.
Is this the true first?
US first (Osgood). The flaming-urn tailpiece on page 441 is the key earliest-state point. An intermediate state retains the page 441 tailpiece but corrects the page 443 caption to 'The St. Charles Hotel'; the latest state removes the tailpiece entirely. The contemporaneous Chatto & Windus London edition is a separate issue.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings lack the page 441 flaming-head tailpiece and correct the page 443 caption and the 'it it' typo; absence of the tailpiece is the principal reprint tell.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Life on the Mississippi a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: US first edition, James R. Osgood & Co., Boston, 1883. The three classic first-state points are: the tailpiece on page 441 showing Mark Twain's head emerging from flames atop an urn (later suppressed at Mrs. Clemens's request as too morbid); the caption on page 443 reading 'The St. Louis Hotel'; and the uncorrected reading 'it it' on page 444. Illustrated, issued in publisher's pictorial cloth.
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. US first (Osgood). The flaming-urn tailpiece on page 441 is the key earliest-state point. An intermediate state retains the page 441 tailpiece but corrects the page 443 caption to 'The St. Charles Hotel'; the latest state removes the tailpiece entirely. The contemporaneous Chatto & Windus London edi
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings lack the page 441 flaming-head tailpiece and correct the page 443 caption and the 'it it' typo; absence of the tailpiece is the principal reprint tell.
I have a first edition of Life on the Mississippi — 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.