How to Identify a Bradbury & Evans First Edition

How to identify a first printing

• Originally printers who became publishers: 19th-century firsts carry no edition statement — use title-page date, absence of any later-printing notice, and correct imprint.
• For Dickens novels issued in monthly parts, the true 'first' is the original part-issue (paper wrappers, with the correct inserted advertisements/'Dickens advertiser' and plates in the right states) — the bound first edition is a separate, later object.
• When collecting parts, completeness of all wrappers, slips, and advertisements and correct plate states are the points that determine value; collate against Hatton & Cleaver for Dickens parts.
• After 1865 the imprint becomes Bradbury, Agnew & Co. — imprint style helps date the printing.

Notable points & cautions

• Publisher/printer of Dickens from 1844 (Dombey and Son, David Copperfield, Bleak House, Little Dorrit) and proprietor of Punch and the Daily News.
• Part-issue collecting (the famous monthly wrappers) is a specialist area with elaborate, plate-state-dependent points — a wrong rule here is costly.
• Became Bradbury, Agnew & Co. in 1865; continued as printers of Punch into the 20th century.
• Because the firm was primarily printers, many imprints read as joint publisher/printer lines.

Imprints

First editions also appear under: Bradbury & Evans, Bradbury, Agnew & Co. (from 1865), Punch (proprietors). Each generally follows the house convention above.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my Bradbury & Evans book is a first edition?

Check the copyright page. Originally printers who became publishers: 19th-century firsts carry no edition statement — use title-page date, absence of any later-printing notice, and correct imprint. For Dickens novels issued in monthly parts, the true 'first' is the original part-issue (paper wrappers, with the correct inserted advertisements/'Dickens advertiser' and plates in the right states) — the bound first edition is a separate, later object.

Does Bradbury & Evans use a number line?

For Dickens novels issued in monthly parts, the true 'first' is the original part-issue (paper wrappers, with the correct inserted advertisements/'Dickens advertiser' and plates in the right states) — the bound first edition is a separate, later object.

Is a book-club edition a Bradbury & Evans first edition?

No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Publisher/printer of Dickens from 1844 (Dombey and Son, David Copperfield, Bleak House, Little Dorrit) and proprietor of Punch and the Daily News.

What era does this cover?

This covers Bradbury & Evans (1830s–20th c. (Dickens publishing 1844–1858)). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.