# Is "The Piazza Tales" by Herman Melville a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Piazza Tales by Herman Melville (Dix, Edwards & Co., 1856) is identified by: First edition, published May 1856 by Dix, Edwards & Co., New York (contract signed March 17, 1856; advertised 'in press' April 5; copy deposited for copyright May 20), printed by Miller & Holman as a duodecimo of 431 pages plus seven pages of publisher's advertisements. The Dix & Edwards New York printing (May 1856) is the true first edition; copies bearing the 'London: Sampson Low, Son & Co.' imprint on the title page are the same Miller & Holman-printed American sheets reissued under an English title leaf about a month later, in June 1856, not a separately typeset British edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, published May 1856 by Dix, Edwards & Co., New York (contract signed March 17, 1856; advertised 'in press' April 5; copy deposited for copyright May 20), printed by Miller & Holman as a duodecimo of 431 pages plus seven pages of publisher's advertisements
- Covers are ornamented with a border of rules and rosettes; the spine displays title, author, and publisher stamped in gold
- Collects six tales including 'Bartleby, the Scrivener,' 'Benito Cereno,' and 'The Encantadas,' most previously published in Putnam's Monthly Magazine, gathered here in book form for the first time with the new title story, 'The Piazza,' written specifically to introduce the collection
- Publisher imprint reads Dix, Edwards & Co.
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Herman Melville |
| Publisher | Dix, Edwards & Co. |
| Year | 1856 |
| True first | American edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, published May 1856 by Dix, Edwards & Co., New York (contract signed March 17, 1856; advertised 'in press' April 5; copy… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition, published May 1856 by Dix, Edwards & Co., New York (contract signed March 17, 1856; advertised 'in press' April 5; copy deposited for copyright May 20), printed by Miller & Holman as a duodecimo of 431 pages plus seven pages of publisher's advertisements. Covers are ornamented with a border of rules and rosettes; the spine displays title, author, and publisher stamped in gold. Collects six tales including 'Bartleby, the Scrivener,' 'Benito Cereno,' and 'The Encantadas,' most previously published in Putnam's Monthly Magazine, gathered here in book form for the first time with the new title story, 'The Piazza,' written specifically to introduce the collection.

## Is this the true first?
The Dix & Edwards New York printing (May 1856) is the true first edition; copies bearing the 'London: Sampson Low, Son & Co.' imprint on the title page are the same Miller & Holman-printed American sheets reissued under an English title leaf about a month later, in June 1856, not a separately typeset British edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later 20th-century trade reprintings of The Piazza Tales (beginning with the Melville revival) carry modern publishers' names and omit the original rule-and-rosette cover ornament and the seven pages of period advertisements at the rear.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Piazza Tales* by Herman Melville a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-piazza-tales
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.