# Is "The Time Machine" by H. G. Wells a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Time Machine by H. G. Wells (Henry Holt, 1895) is identified by: The US Henry Holt edition (May 1895) PRECEDES the UK Heinemann (June 1895). Bibliographically the US Holt edition has priority by about a month and is the true first edition, though the UK Heinemann is the more sought-after and is often (incorrectly) called the first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The US Henry Holt edition (May 1895) PRECEDES the UK Heinemann (June 1895)
- The Holt first is bound in tan/buff cloth
- The UK Heinemann first: gray-purple cloth, with the winged-sphinx device on the cover; first-issue points include the '16pp catalogue' at rear dated and the absence of later-printing notice
- Heinemann first state lacks the 'The End' textual variants debated by bibliographers
- Publisher imprint reads Henry Holt
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | H. G. Wells |
| Publisher | Henry Holt |
| Year | 1895 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The US Henry Holt edition (May 1895) PRECEDES the UK Heinemann (June 1895) |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
The US Henry Holt edition (May 1895) PRECEDES the UK Heinemann (June 1895). The Holt first is bound in tan/buff cloth. The UK Heinemann first: gray-purple cloth, with the winged-sphinx device on the cover; first-issue points include the '16pp catalogue' at rear dated and the absence of later-printing notice. Heinemann first state lacks the 'The End' textual variants debated by bibliographers.

## Is this the true first?
Bibliographically the US Holt edition has priority by about a month and is the true first edition, though the UK Heinemann is the more sought-after and is often (incorrectly) called the first. Both are scarce; the Holt is genuinely the earliest book form.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Numerous later reprints exist; any edition postdating 1895 or carrying later catalogues/printing notices is not the first. Distinguish Holt (US, tan cloth) from Heinemann (UK, gray-purple, sphinx device).

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Time Machine* by H. G. Wells a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-time-machine
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.