# Is "Round the Red Lamp" by Arthur Conan Doyle a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Round the Red Lamp by Arthur Conan Doyle (Methuen & Co., 1894) is identified by: First published by Methuen & Co. The British Methuen edition of 23 October 1894 precedes the American D.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First published by Methuen & Co. on 23 October 1894, a collection of medical stories partly commissioned by Jerome K. Jerome for The Idler magazine
- The first edition is octavo, pp. [i]-viii, [1] 2-328, with a 32-page publisher's catalogue dated October 1894 bound in at the rear, in an edition of 6,000 copies
- The binding is original red cloth with the spine panel stamped in gilt, edges untrimmed
- Publisher imprint reads Methuen & Co.
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Arthur Conan Doyle |
| Publisher | Methuen & Co. |
| Year | 1894 |
| True first | British edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First published by Methuen & Co. on 23 October 1894, a collection of medical stories partly commissioned by Jerome K. Jerome for The Idler… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First published by Methuen & Co. on 23 October 1894, a collection of medical stories partly commissioned by Jerome K. Jerome for The Idler magazine. The first edition is octavo, pp. [i]-viii, [1] 2-328, with a 32-page publisher's catalogue dated October 1894 bound in at the rear, in an edition of 6,000 copies. The binding is original red cloth with the spine panel stamped in gilt, edges untrimmed.

## Is this the true first?
The British Methuen edition of 23 October 1894 precedes the American D. Appleton & Co. edition of November 1894 by about a month and is the true first; the Appleton edition carries a slightly revised preface explaining the title's 'red lamp' to American readers.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Round the Red Lamp* by Arthur Conan Doyle a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/round-the-red-lamp
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.