The points of issue
First edition, Ticknor and Fields, Boston, 1864 (published posthumously, edited by William Ellery Channing and Sophia Thoreau); BAL 20113. The key first-printing point is the list of Thoreau's books on page [ii]: it is PRICED in the first printing and unpriced in the second. Copies appear in several cloth colors (green, purple, brown) among multiple cloth grains, with no established priority between binding states; spine cartouche variants ('Author of Walden' versus 'Author of Excursions') and presence or absence of a center wreath stamp likewise carry no priority.
Is this the true first?
True first US (Ticknor and Fields, 1864), one of Thoreau's posthumous works. First-printing status is set by the priced list of his books on page [ii] (per BAL); binding color and stamping variants do not establish precedence.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Ticknor/Houghton printings and the Riverside and Walden editions are reprints; confirm the 1864 imprint and the priced page-[ii] list. An inserted catalogue dated December 1864 is of no bibliographical significance. No book-club issue of the period.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Maine Woods a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition, Ticknor and Fields, Boston, 1864 (published posthumously, edited by William Ellery Channing and Sophia Thoreau); BAL 20113. The key first-printing point is the list of Thoreau's books on page [ii]: it is PRICED in the first printing and unpriced in the second. Copies appear in several cloth colors (green, purple, brown) among multiple cloth grains, with no established priority between binding states; spine cartouche variants ('Author of Walden' versus 'Author of Excursions') and presence or absence of a center wreath stamp likewise carry no p
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. True first US (Ticknor and Fields, 1864), one of Thoreau's posthumous works. First-printing status is set by the priced list of his books on page [ii] (per BAL); binding color and stamping variants do not establish precedence.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later Ticknor/Houghton printings and the Riverside and Walden editions are reprints; confirm the 1864 imprint and the priced page-[ii] list. An inserted catalogue dated December 1864 is of no bibliographical significance. No book-club issue of the period.
I have a first edition of The Maine Woods — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.