# Is "North and South" by Elizabeth Gaskell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (Chapman and Hall, 1855) is identified by: Two volumes, first book edition, Chapman and Hall, London, 1855, in original brown cloth lettered in gilt with blind decoration. The London Chapman and Hall 1855 two-volume edition is the true first book edition, carrying the expanded text versus the serial.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Two volumes, first book edition, Chapman and Hall, London, 1855, in original brown cloth lettered in gilt with blind decoration
- Follows serialization in Household Words (1854-55)
- The book text is revised and expanded over the serial: Gaskell's preface notes that short passages were inserted and new chapters added because the magazine format had constrained the story
- Publisher imprint reads Chapman and Hall
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Elizabeth Gaskell |
| Publisher | Chapman and Hall |
| Year | 1855 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Two volumes, first book edition, Chapman and Hall, London, 1855, in original brown cloth lettered in gilt with blind decoration |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Two volumes, first book edition, Chapman and Hall, London, 1855, in original brown cloth lettered in gilt with blind decoration. Follows serialization in Household Words (1854-55). The book text is revised and expanded over the serial: Gaskell's preface notes that short passages were inserted and new chapters added because the magazine format had constrained the story.

## Is this the true first?
The London Chapman and Hall 1855 two-volume edition is the true first book edition, carrying the expanded text versus the serial. Note that a second edition also appeared in 1855, so confirm first-edition status rather than relying on the year alone.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A second edition was issued in 1855 (revising a misplaced passage), and later one-volume reprints are not the first. Verify the edition statement, not just the date.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *North and South* by Elizabeth Gaskell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/north-and-south
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.