# Is "Tales of the Argonauts, and Other Sketches" by Bret Harte a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Tales of the Argonauts, and Other Sketches by Bret Harte (James R. Osgood and Company, 1875) is identified by: First edition (BAL 7280), 12mo, collating [iv],283 pages.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition (BAL 7280), 12mo, collating [iv],283 pages
- First-state sheets bulk 13/16 of an inch
- Bound in original terra-cotta publisher's cloth with a blind frame on the boards, spine titled in gilt, chocolate-brown coated endpapers
- Gathers further stories of the California Gold Rush that consolidated the Argonaut vein Harte had opened with The Luck of Roaring Camp
- Publisher imprint reads James R. Osgood and Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Bret Harte |
| Publisher | James R. Osgood and Company |
| Year | 1875 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition (BAL 7280), 12mo, collating [iv],283 pages |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition (BAL 7280), 12mo, collating [iv],283 pages. First-state sheets bulk 13/16 of an inch. Bound in original terra-cotta publisher's cloth with a blind frame on the boards, spine titled in gilt, chocolate-brown coated endpapers. Gathers further stories of the California Gold Rush that consolidated the Argonaut vein Harte had opened with The Luck of Roaring Camp.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Tales of the Argonauts, and Other Sketches* by Bret Harte a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/tales-of-the-argonauts-and-other-sketches
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.