# Is "Unto This Last" by John Ruskin a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Unto This Last by John Ruskin (Smith, Elder & Co., 1862) is identified by: First edition in book form, published May 1862 (the four essays had run serially in Cornhill Magazine from August to November 1860 before editorial and public backlash cut the planned series short).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition in book form, published May 1862 (the four essays had run serially in Cornhill Magazine from August to November 1860 before editorial and public backlash cut the planned series short)
- Collates xviii, [1], 174 pp., bound in green cloth boards with the title lettered in gilt
- Dealers and bibliographic sources record the first printing at roughly 300 copies, reflecting the weak initial sales that Ruskin himself remarked on at the time
- Publisher imprint reads Smith, Elder & Co.
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Ruskin |
| Publisher | Smith, Elder & Co. |
| Year | 1862 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition in book form, published May 1862 (the four essays had run serially in Cornhill Magazine from August to November 1860 before… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition in book form, published May 1862 (the four essays had run serially in Cornhill Magazine from August to November 1860 before editorial and public backlash cut the planned series short). Collates xviii, [1], 174 pp., bound in green cloth boards with the title lettered in gilt. Dealers and bibliographic sources record the first printing at roughly 300 copies, reflecting the weak initial sales that Ruskin himself remarked on at the time.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Unto This Last* by John Ruskin a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/unto-this-last
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.