# Is "The Innocents Abroad" by Mark Twain (Samuel L. Clemens) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain (Samuel L. Clemens) (American Publishing Co., 1869) is identified by: US subscription first edition, American Publishing Co., Hartford, 1869 (BAL 3316). US true first, issued by subscription.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US subscription first edition, American Publishing Co., Hartford, 1869 (BAL 3316)
- First-issue points: 1869 on both title and copyright pages; the double frontispiece; the last table-of-contents entry on page xviii reading 'Thankless Devotion - A Newspaper Valedictory'; 'XLI' on page 643; and the rear advertisements including the 'Personal History of Ulysses S. Grant' notice
- Sold by subscription, so binding styles (cloth, sheep, half morocco) vary
- Publisher imprint reads American Publishing Co.
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Mark Twain (Samuel L. Clemens) |
| Publisher | American Publishing Co. |
| Year | 1869 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US subscription first edition, American Publishing Co., Hartford, 1869 (BAL 3316) |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
US subscription first edition, American Publishing Co., Hartford, 1869 (BAL 3316). First-issue points: 1869 on both title and copyright pages; the double frontispiece; the last table-of-contents entry on page xviii reading 'Thankless Devotion - A Newspaper Valedictory'; 'XLI' on page 643; and the rear advertisements including the 'Personal History of Ulysses S. Grant' notice. Sold by subscription, so binding styles (cloth, sheep, half morocco) vary.

## Is this the true first?
US true first, issued by subscription. This was Twain's first major book under his own name. Earliest copies show the 1869 dating on title and copyright leaves and the first-state contents and advertisement points noted above; because it was a subscription book, binding alone does not establish priority.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Numerous later American Publishing Co. printings exist; reprints lack the first-state contents and advertisement points and may show altered or relocated illustrations.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Innocents Abroad* by Mark Twain (Samuel L. Clemens) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-innocents-abroad
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.