# Is "The King of the Golden River, or, The Black Brothers: A Legend of Stiria" by John Ruskin a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The King of the Golden River, or, The Black Brothers: A Legend of Stiria by John Ruskin (Smith, Elder & Co., 1851) is identified by: Written in 1841 for twelve-year-old Effie Gray (whom Ruskin later married), but not published until a decade later, and issued anonymously.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Written in 1841 for twelve-year-old Effie Gray (whom Ruskin later married), but not published until a decade later, and issued anonymously
- The first edition is small octavo, collating [x], 56, [ii]pp, with decorated endpapers and 22 illustrations by Richard Doyle throughout the text, including a tissue-guarded frontispiece and pictorial title page
- Original binding is printed paper boards with a cloth spine, all edges gilt, with publisher's advertisements bound in at the rear
- Publisher imprint reads Smith, Elder & Co.
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Ruskin |
| Publisher | Smith, Elder & Co. |
| Year | 1851 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | Written in 1841 for twelve-year-old Effie Gray (whom Ruskin later married), but not published until a decade later, and issued anonymously |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Written in 1841 for twelve-year-old Effie Gray (whom Ruskin later married), but not published until a decade later, and issued anonymously. The first edition is small octavo, collating [x], 56, [ii]pp, with decorated endpapers and 22 illustrations by Richard Doyle throughout the text, including a tissue-guarded frontispiece and pictorial title page. Original binding is printed paper boards with a cloth spine, all edges gilt, with publisher's advertisements bound in at the rear.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The King of the Golden River, or, The Black Brothers: A Legend of Stiria* by John Ruskin a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-king-of-the-golden-river-or-the-black-brothers-a-legend
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.