# Is "The Caxtons: A Family Picture" by Edward Bulwer-Lytton a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Caxtons: A Family Picture by Edward Bulwer-Lytton (William Blackwood and Sons, 1849) is identified by: First edition in book form (Sadleir 392, Wolff 924), three volumes octavo, collating [4],iii,[1],viii,327,[1]; [4],346; [4],308,32pp. The novel was serialized anonymously in Blackwood's Magazine from April 1848 to October 1849 before its first appearance in book form, in three volumes, later in 1849; the magazine serialization therefore precedes the three-volume first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition in book form (Sadleir 392, Wolff 924), three volumes octavo, collating [4],iii,[1],viii,327,[1]; [4],346; [4],308,32pp
- A 32-page publisher's catalogue is bound in at the back of volume III as part of this collation
- Original binding is chocolate-brown ribbed cloth, blocked in blind on the covers and lettered in gilt on the spine, with rough-trimmed fore and bottom edges and pale yellow endpapers
- Publisher imprint reads William Blackwood and Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Edward Bulwer-Lytton |
| Publisher | William Blackwood and Sons |
| Year | 1849 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition in book form (Sadleir 392, Wolff 924), three volumes octavo, collating [4],iii,[1],viii,327,[1]; [4],346; [4],308,32pp |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition in book form (Sadleir 392, Wolff 924), three volumes octavo, collating [4],iii,[1],viii,327,[1]; [4],346; [4],308,32pp. A 32-page publisher's catalogue is bound in at the back of volume III as part of this collation. Original binding is chocolate-brown ribbed cloth, blocked in blind on the covers and lettered in gilt on the spine, with rough-trimmed fore and bottom edges and pale yellow endpapers.

## Is this the true first?
The novel was serialized anonymously in Blackwood's Magazine from April 1848 to October 1849 before its first appearance in book form, in three volumes, later in 1849; the magazine serialization therefore precedes the three-volume first edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Caxtons: A Family Picture* by Edward Bulwer-Lytton a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-caxtons-a-family-picture
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.