# Is "Tales (1845)" by Edgar Allan Poe a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Tales (1845) by Edgar Allan Poe (Wiley & Putnam, 1845) is identified by: Volume in Wiley & Putnam's 'Library of American Books,' New York, 1845, containing 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue,' 'The Purloined Letter,' 'The Gold-Bug,' 'The Fall of the House of Usher,' and others (BAL 16146; Queen's Quorum 1). US first, 1845, Wiley & Putnam, New York.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Volume in Wiley & Putnam's 'Library of American Books,' New York, 1845, containing 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue,' 'The Purloined Letter,' 'The Gold-Bug,' 'The Fall of the House of Usher,' and others (BAL 16146
- Queen's Quorum 1)
- Combined run of about 750 copies, issued in tan printed wrappers and in cloth, with NO established priority between wrappered and cloth copies
- Two states are recorded, one with and one without the printer's and stereotyper's names, again with no priority assigned
- Look for the correct three-line Wiley & Putnam copyright notice and the 'Library of American Books' half-title
- Publisher imprint reads Wiley & Putnam
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Edgar Allan Poe |
| Publisher | Wiley & Putnam |
| Year | 1845 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Volume in Wiley & Putnam's 'Library of American Books,' New York, 1845, containing 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue,' 'The Purloined Letter,'… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Volume in Wiley & Putnam's 'Library of American Books,' New York, 1845, containing 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue,' 'The Purloined Letter,' 'The Gold-Bug,' 'The Fall of the House of Usher,' and others (BAL 16146; Queen's Quorum 1). Combined run of about 750 copies, issued in tan printed wrappers and in cloth, with NO established priority between wrappered and cloth copies. Two states are recorded, one with and one without the printer's and stereotyper's names, again with no priority assigned. Look for the correct three-line Wiley & Putnam copyright notice and the 'Library of American Books' half-title.

## Is this the true first?
US first, 1845, Wiley & Putnam, New York. Both wrappered and cloth states, and both printer/stereotyper states, are first edition with no priority established. Do not assume the wrappered copies precede the cloth.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Poe collections reprint these tales. The genuine first is the 1845 Wiley & Putnam volume with the three-line copyright notice and 'Library of American Books' half-title; binding state alone does not establish priority.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Tales (1845)* by Edgar Allan Poe a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/tales-1845
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.