# Is "The Rose and the Ring" by William Makepeace Thackeray (as 'M. A. Titmarsh') a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Rose and the Ring by William Makepeace Thackeray (as 'M. A. Titmarsh') (Smith, Elder & Co., 1855) is identified by: Issued as Thackeray's Christmas book for the 1854 season under his established pseudonym 'Mr.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Issued as Thackeray's Christmas book for the 1854 season under his established pseudonym 'Mr
- M. A. Titmarsh,' though the title page carries the date 1855
- The first edition collates to a frontispiece plus iv, 128pp, plus a 16-page publisher's catalogue at the rear, illustrated throughout with the author's own drawings, including a series of full-page plates plus chapter head- and tail-pieces and in-text vignettes
- Smith, Elder & Co. of London published the true first edition; the full title on the title page reads The Rose and the Ring, or, The History of Prince Giglio and Prince Bulbo: A Fireside Pantomime for Great and Small Children
- Publisher imprint reads Smith, Elder & Co.
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | William Makepeace Thackeray (as 'M. A. Titmarsh') |
| Publisher | Smith, Elder & Co. |
| Year | 1855 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | Issued as Thackeray's Christmas book for the 1854 season under his established pseudonym 'Mr |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Issued as Thackeray's Christmas book for the 1854 season under his established pseudonym 'Mr. M. A. Titmarsh,' though the title page carries the date 1855. The first edition collates to a frontispiece plus iv, 128pp, plus a 16-page publisher's catalogue at the rear, illustrated throughout with the author's own drawings, including a series of full-page plates plus chapter head- and tail-pieces and in-text vignettes. Smith, Elder & Co. of London published the true first edition; the full title on the title page reads The Rose and the Ring, or, The History of Prince Giglio and Prince Bulbo: A Fireside Pantomime for Great and Small Children.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Rose and the Ring* by William Makepeace Thackeray (as 'M. A. Titmarsh') a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-rose-and-the-ring
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.