# Is "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (Ward, Lock and Company, 1891) is identified by: First book edition (the expanded novel with six added chapters), April 1891. The true first appearance of the text is the shorter version in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine (July 1890), not a book.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First book edition (the expanded novel with six added chapters), April 1891
- Trade first-issue point: on page 208, eight lines from the bottom, the word 'and' is misprinted 'nd.' A deluxe large-paper issue limited to 250 copies signed by Wilde was also produced; it corrects the typo
- Publisher imprint reads Ward, Lock and Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Oscar Wilde |
| Publisher | Ward, Lock and Company |
| Year | 1891 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First book edition (the expanded novel with six added chapters), April 1891 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First book edition (the expanded novel with six added chapters), April 1891. Trade first-issue point: on page 208, eight lines from the bottom, the word 'and' is misprinted 'nd.' A deluxe large-paper issue limited to 250 copies signed by Wilde was also produced; it corrects the typo.

## Is this the true first?
The true first appearance of the text is the shorter version in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine (July 1890), not a book. The 1891 Ward, Lock book is the first edition in book form and the first appearance of the full novel. The signed 250-copy large-paper issue is the premium state.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings correct the 'nd' typo and reset the text; reprints lack the large-paper limitation leaf. Any later Ward, Lock or other-publisher printing is a reprint.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Picture of Dorian Gray* by Oscar Wilde a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-picture-of-dorian-gray
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.