# Is "Pelham; or, The Adventures of a Gentleman" by Edward Bulwer-Lytton a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Pelham; or, The Adventures of a Gentleman by Edward Bulwer-Lytton (Henry Colburn, 1828) is identified by: First edition (Sadleir 431, Wolff 953), three volumes, published anonymously by Henry Colburn.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition (Sadleir 431, Wolff 953), three volumes, published anonymously by Henry Colburn
- Wolff's collation corrects Sadleir's own entry, recording volume I as running to 340 pages rather than the 330 pages Sadleir states
- Half-titles are present in volumes I and II. Two pages of publisher's advertisements appear at the back of volume III. Original binding is grayish-blue paper boards with a yellowish-grey printed spine label
- Publisher imprint reads Henry Colburn
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Edward Bulwer-Lytton |
| Publisher | Henry Colburn |
| Year | 1828 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition (Sadleir 431, Wolff 953), three volumes, published anonymously by Henry Colburn |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition (Sadleir 431, Wolff 953), three volumes, published anonymously by Henry Colburn. Wolff's collation corrects Sadleir's own entry, recording volume I as running to 340 pages rather than the 330 pages Sadleir states. Half-titles are present in volumes I and II. Two pages of publisher's advertisements appear at the back of volume III. Original binding is grayish-blue paper boards with a yellowish-grey printed spine label.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Pelham; or, The Adventures of a Gentleman* by Edward Bulwer-Lytton a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/pelham-or-the-adventures-of-a-gentleman
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.