How to identify a first printing
- c.1869–1880: first editions carry the full three-partner 'Claxton, Remsen & Haffelfinger, Philadelphia' imprint; there is no printed 'First Edition' statement, so identify by imprint form, the dated title page, and the absence of any later-printing notice.
- Dating tell: the three-partner imprint name is itself a date bracket. After George Remsen's death in 1880 the firm continued as E. Claxton & Co. (to its 1884 failure), so copies bearing the E. Claxton imprint from the same plates are later issues, not the original three-partner first.
- Address changes provide a finer date bracket: 819–821 Market Street (c.1868–1872), then 624–626–628 Market Street (1873–1880). For gift books and juveniles, the first issue is often judged by binding/gilt and by bound-in advertisement-catalog dates, which should not postdate the title page.
Notable points & cautions
- Mid-1870s Philadelphia trade, gift-book, and juvenile house publishing literature, illustrated gift books, and series for the young; it corresponded with Walt Whitman in 1877–1878.
- Part of a chain of Philadelphia imprint successions; the firm-name change (three partners, then E. Claxton & Co. after Remsen died in 1880) is the main dating handle.
- No formal first-edition statement, so standard 19th-century date and issue-point identification applies.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Claxton, Remsen & Haffelfinger, J.A. Bancroft & Co. (predecessor), E. Claxton & Co. (direct successor, c.1880–1884). Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Claxton, Remsen & Haffelfinger book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. c.1869–1880: first editions carry the full three-partner 'Claxton, Remsen & Haffelfinger, Philadelphia' imprint; there is no printed 'First Edition' statement, so identify by imprint form, the dated title page, and the absence of any later-printing notice. Dating tell: the three-partner imprint name is itself a date bracket. After George Remsen's death in 1880 the firm continued as E. Claxton & Co. (to its 1884 failure), so copies bearing the E. Claxton imprint from the same plates are later issues, not the original three-partner first.
Does Claxton, Remsen & Haffelfinger use a number line?
Dating tell: the three-partner imprint name is itself a date bracket. After George Remsen's death in 1880 the firm continued as E. Claxton & Co. (to its 1884 failure), so copies bearing the E. Claxton imprint from the same plates are later issues, not the original three-partner first.
Is a book-club edition a Claxton, Remsen & Haffelfinger first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Mid-1870s Philadelphia trade, gift-book, and juvenile house publishing literature, illustrated gift books, and series for the young; it corresponded with Walt Whitman in 1877–1878.
What era does this cover?
This covers Claxton, Remsen & Haffelfinger (c.1869–1880). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.