# Is "Salmagundi; or The Whim-Whams and Opinions of Launcelot Langstaff, Esq. and Others" by Washington Irving (with William Irving and James Kirke Paulding) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Salmagundi; or The Whim-Whams and Opinions of Launcelot Langstaff, Esq. and Others by Washington Irving (with William Irving and James Kirke Paulding) (David Longworth, 1807) is identified by: Issued as twenty individually printed pamphlet numbers between January 24, 1807, and January 15, 1808, published by David Longworth, New York. Because Salmagundi was issued serially in wrappers over a full year rather than as a single first-edition book, priority attaches to the individual numbered parts in their earliest state, not to any single 'first edition' book -- collectors and BAL both treat this as a parts-issue.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Issued as twenty individually printed pamphlet numbers between January 24, 1807, and January 15, 1808, published by David Longworth, New York
- Because the numbers were later gathered and rebound into two volumes, using title pages and parts printed at different times, 'first edition' copies are inherently a mix of variant part-states
- BAL states plainly that 'the final collation of Salmagundi has not been achieved' and that 'anything remotely resembling finality is impossible.' Known points include an early first-state reading 'Dress he!' on page 20 of Part I and a frontispiece portrait issued without a caption in its earliest state; individual numbers were themselves reprinted to meet demand, so complete sets often mix printings -- copies of Part I, for example, turn up in second- or third-printing states
- BAL records several different lettered title-page settings (at least A, B, and C appear in dealer descriptions) distributed across the two bound volumes in a sequence BAL says has never been determined
- Publisher imprint reads David Longworth
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Washington Irving (with William Irving and James Kirke Paulding) |
| Publisher | David Longworth |
| Year | 1807 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Issued as twenty individually printed pamphlet numbers between January 24, 1807, and January 15, 1808, published by David Longworth, New… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Issued as twenty individually printed pamphlet numbers between January 24, 1807, and January 15, 1808, published by David Longworth, New York. Because the numbers were later gathered and rebound into two volumes, using title pages and parts printed at different times, 'first edition' copies are inherently a mix of variant part-states; BAL states plainly that 'the final collation of Salmagundi has not been achieved' and that 'anything remotely resembling finality is impossible.' Known points include an early first-state reading 'Dress he!' on page 20 of Part I and a frontispiece portrait issued without a caption in its earliest state; individual numbers were themselves reprinted to meet demand, so complete sets often mix printings -- copies of Part I, for example, turn up in second- or third-printing states. BAL records several different lettered title-page settings (at least A, B, and C appear in dealer descriptions) distributed across the two bound volumes in a sequence BAL says has never been determined.

## Is this the true first?
Because Salmagundi was issued serially in wrappers over a full year rather than as a single first-edition book, priority attaches to the individual numbered parts in their earliest state, not to any single 'first edition' book -- collectors and BAL both treat this as a parts-issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Bound reissues from Longworth's own stock in subsequent years, and 20th-century scholarly editions (including the 1977 Twayne critical edition, volume six of The Complete Works of Washington Irving, edited by Bruce Granger and Martha Hartzog), are readily distinguished from the original serial pamphlet parts by their unified printing and binding.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Salmagundi; or The Whim-Whams and Opinions of Launcelot Langstaff, Esq. and Others* by Washington Irving (with William Irving and James Kirke Paulding) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/salmagundi-or-the-whim-whams-and-opinions-of-launcelot-langs
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.