# Is "Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition, during the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842" by Charles Wilkes a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition, during the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842 by Charles Wilkes (C. Sherman, 1844) is identified by: The true first edition is the 'Official' issue printed by C. 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.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 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)
- Publisher imprint reads C. Sherman
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Charles Wilkes |
| Publisher | C. Sherman |
| Year | 1844 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The true first edition is the 'Official' issue printed by C. Sherman in Philadelphia, dated 1844 on the title page though not distributed… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## 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).

## 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.

## 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.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition, during the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842* by Charles Wilkes a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/narrative-of-the-united-states-exploring-expedition-during-t
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.