Is My Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition, during the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842 a First Edition?

The points of issue

• The true first edition is the 'Official' issue printed by C. Sherman in Philadelphia, dated 1844 on the title page though not distributed by the binder until April-May 1845, in an edition of only 100 copies for congressional and diplomatic distribution; it comprises five text volumes plus a companion folio atlas, catalogued as 'Haskell 1' in the standard bibliography of the expedition's publications
• Because Wilkes, unlike the expedition's other report authors, held personal copyright in his text, he arranged for Lea & Blanchard of Philadelphia to issue an 'unofficial' issue from Sherman's original sheets, limited to 150 copies, also in 1845 (Haskell 2A)
• Wider circulation came only with a separate 1,000-copy 'imperial octavo' trade edition that Lea & Blanchard stereotyped from an entirely new Sherman typesetting later in 1845 (Haskell 2B), followed by a further 3,000-copy printing from those same stereotype plates before the year was out (Haskell 3)

How to confirm the first-printing statement

Publishers stated first printings differently by era. The decisive tells are a printed “First Edition/First Printing” statement, a number line whose lowest number is 1 (Random House ends at 2), or a dated first printing with no later printings listed. Paste your copyright page into the number-line decoder.

How to verify your copy, step by step

1. Find the copyright page — the verso (back) of the title page.
2. Confirm the first-edition statement — look for “First Edition,” “First Printing,” or the publisher’s equivalent wording.
3. Check for a number line or dated printing — the lowest number present is the printing; a dated first printing with no later printings listed is the tell.
4. Rule out a book-club edition — a blind-stamp on the rear board or a jacket with no printed price marks a book-club copy.
5. Photograph four things — the front cover, spine, title page, and copyright page — the standard record for identification.

The dust jacket

For a collectible first edition the dust jacket matters as much as the book. Confirm the jacket is present and unclipped — the printed price should still be at the corner of the flap (a clipped corner or a price-less flap can indicate a book-club issue). First-state jackets can differ from later ones in the cover art, blurbs, or review quotations; where a specific first-state jacket point is known for this title it is noted above.

Binding & format

Where multiple bindings exist, the hardcover trade issue is usually (but not always) the precedence copy — confirm against the points above. Later printings often show cheaper cloth, thinner boards, or simplified spine stamping. A simultaneous signed or limited issue, when one exists, is a distinct state from the trade first.

Is this the true first?

The true first edition is the 100-copy 'Official' Sherman issue dated 1844 (Haskell 1), whose first copies were not distributed by the Department of State until April 1845; the 150-copy 'unofficial' Lea & Blanchard issue of 1845 (Haskell 2A), printed from Sherman's original sheets, is the next-rarest state, while the far more obtainable 1,000-copy 'imperial octavo' trade edition (Haskell 2B) was reset from new Sherman stereotype plates rather than the original setting.P-035989

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

Numerous later printings followed the 1845 'imperial octavo' stereotype setting, including two London editions in 1845, further Philadelphia printings in 1849, and further editions through 1858 and beyond; neither an 1844 title-page date nor Sherman's imprint alone guarantees a true first, since only the 100-copy Official issue and the rarer 150-copy unofficial issue derive from the original 1844 setting of type.P-035990

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition, during the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842 a first edition?

A first edition of Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition, during the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842 by Charles Wilkes (C. Sherman) is identified by: The true first edition is the 'Official' issue printed by C.

How do I tell the first printing from a later one?

Check the copyright page. A stated first edition, a number line ending in 1, or a dated first printing with no later printings listed is the key. The true first edition is the 100-copy 'Official' Sherman issue dated 1844 (Haskell 1), whose first copies were not distributed by the Department of State until April 1845; the 150-copy 'unofficial' Lea & Blanchard issue of 1845 (Haskell 2A), printed from Sherman's original sheets, is the next-rarest state, while the far more obtainable 1,000-copy 'imperial octavo' trade edition (Haskell 2B) was reset from new Sherman stereotype plates rather than th

Is the book-club edition the same as the first?

Numerous later printings followed the 1845 'imperial octavo' stereotype setting, including two London editions in 1845, further Philadelphia printings in 1849, and further editions through 1858 and beyond; neither an 1844 title-page date nor Sherman's imprint alone guarantees a true first, since only the 100-copy Official issue and the rarer 150-copy unofficial issue derive from the original 1844 setting of type.

I have a first edition of Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition, during the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842 — what should I do?

First, document the copy: photograph the copyright page (the number line and any edition statement) and the dust-jacket flap — an unclipped, priced jacket matters. Confirm the points of issue above against your copy, and use the free First Edition Checker to decode the printing. To sell, the author’s collecting guide covers the market. And if you are clearing books in the Albuquerque area, the New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies are identified rather than discarded.

Glossary

First edition

Every copy printed from the first setting of type. Collectors usually want the first edition, first printing (the true first).

First printing / impression

A single press run from that setting. The first printing is the earliest and most desirable; later printings are still the first edition but not the true first.

Number line (printer's key)

A row of numbers on the copyright page (e.g. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). The lowest number present is the printing — a line including 1 marks a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2).

Points of issue

Specific physical details — a stated edition, a number line, a typo, a jacket state — that identify the true first printing.

Book-club edition (BCE)

A reprint made for a book club. Tells include a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board and a dust jacket with no printed price. Not the true first.

First thus

The first appearance of a particular version (first paperback, first illustrated, first U.S. printing) — a first of that kind, not the first edition of the work.