# Is "Mark Twain's Sketches, New and Old" by Mark Twain a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Mark Twain's Sketches, New and Old by Mark Twain (American Publishing Company, 1875) is identified by: First edition, first issue (BAL 3364) is distinguished by a footnote on page 119 that is mistakenly repeated verbatim on page 120 (later states correct this by removing the duplicate), and by the presence, opposite page 299, of an inserted slip disclaiming Twain's authorship of the eleven-line piece 'From Hospital Days.' The second state lacks both the repeated footnote and the disclaimer slip.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first issue (BAL 3364) is distinguished by a footnote on page 119 that is mistakenly repeated verbatim on page 120 (later states correct this by removing the duplicate), and by the presence, opposite page 299, of an inserted slip disclaiming Twain's authorship of the eleven-line piece 'From Hospital Days.' The second state lacks both the repeated footnote and the disclaimer slip
- Square octavo, 320 pages, bound in blue cloth stamped in black and gold; illustrated by True Williams
- Publisher imprint reads American Publishing Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Mark Twain |
| Publisher | American Publishing Company |
| Year | 1875 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first issue (BAL 3364) is distinguished by a footnote on page 119 that is mistakenly repeated verbatim on page 120 (later… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition, first issue (BAL 3364) is distinguished by a footnote on page 119 that is mistakenly repeated verbatim on page 120 (later states correct this by removing the duplicate), and by the presence, opposite page 299, of an inserted slip disclaiming Twain's authorship of the eleven-line piece 'From Hospital Days.' The second state lacks both the repeated footnote and the disclaimer slip. Square octavo, 320 pages, bound in blue cloth stamped in black and gold; illustrated by True Williams.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Mark Twain's Sketches, New and Old* by Mark Twain a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/mark-twains-sketches-new-and-old
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.