# Is "The Portrait of a Lady" by Henry James a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James (Macmillan and Co., 1881) is identified by: The London first edition (Macmillan, November 1881, three volumes) preceded the American; the American first edition (Houghton, Mifflin) was released November 16, 1881, but carries '1882' on the title page. The Macmillan London three-volume edition of November 1881 is the true first edition, preceding the Houghton, Mifflin one-volume Boston edition, which itself is dated 1882 on its title page despite appearing in November 1881.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The London first edition (Macmillan, November 1881, three volumes) preceded the American; the American first edition (Houghton, Mifflin) was released November 16, 1881, but carries '1882' on the title page
- First-issue American sheets show 'Copyright 1881.' on the copyright page, the date '1882' followed by a period on the title page, and no publisher's advertisements bound in at the rear (later printings added an advertising catalogue)
- Collation runs to 520 pages
- The book is bound in brown cloth with gilt titling and decorative stamping on the upper cover and spine
- Publisher imprint reads Macmillan and Co.
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Henry James |
| Publisher | Macmillan and Co. |
| Year | 1881 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The London first edition (Macmillan, November 1881, three volumes) preceded the American; the American first edition (Houghton, Mifflin)… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
The London first edition (Macmillan, November 1881, three volumes) preceded the American; the American first edition (Houghton, Mifflin) was released November 16, 1881, but carries '1882' on the title page. First-issue American sheets show 'Copyright 1881.' on the copyright page, the date '1882' followed by a period on the title page, and no publisher's advertisements bound in at the rear (later printings added an advertising catalogue). Collation runs to 520 pages. The book is bound in brown cloth with gilt titling and decorative stamping on the upper cover and spine.

## Is this the true first?
The Macmillan London three-volume edition of November 1881 is the true first edition, preceding the Houghton, Mifflin one-volume Boston edition, which itself is dated 1882 on its title page despite appearing in November 1881.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Portrait of a Lady* by Henry James a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-portrait-of-a-lady
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.