How to Identify a Constable & Co. Ltd First Edition

How to identify a first printing

• Late 1890s to about 1920 (the modern London Archibald Constable & Co.): firsts typically carry the date on the title page with no later-printing notice; subsequent printings remove the title-page date or add an impression note. Dated rear advertisement catalogs assist with dating.
• About 1920 to about 1960: 'First published (year)' on the copyright page; a first impression lists no reprints, while later printings add dated reprint lines.
• About 1960 to about 1999: 'First published in Great Britain 19xx by Constable & Co. Ltd' on the verso, with a first printing showing no additional impression statement.
• 1999 onward (as Constable & Robinson, later under Little, Brown / Hachette from 2014): a descending number line typically appears, with the lowest digit indicating the printing (1 = first). Use the dated 'First published' statement as the primary confirmation.

Notable points & cautions

• The firm traces to the Edinburgh bookseller-publisher Archibald Constable (in business from 1795), Walter Scott's publisher, whose business suffered the 1826 financial collapse; the twentieth-century collected list is published by the modern London firm Archibald Constable & Co. (e.g. early George Bernard Shaw, the Constable edition of Conrad, Bram Stoker's Dracula in 1897).
• Distinguish the historic Edinburgh house from the modern London firm when dating early issues.
• Became Constable & Robinson in 1999; now Constable, an imprint of Little, Brown (Hachette UK), which acquired Constable & Robinson in 2014.

Imprints

First editions also appear under: Constable, Archibald Constable & Co., Constable & Company, Constable & Robinson (from 1999), The Westminster Library. Each generally follows the house convention above.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my Constable & Co. Ltd book is a first edition?

Check the copyright page. Late 1890s to about 1920 (the modern London Archibald Constable & Co.): firsts typically carry the date on the title page with no later-printing notice; subsequent printings remove the title-page date or add an impression note. Dated rear advertisement catalogs assist with dating. About 1920 to about 1960: 'First published (year)' on the copyright page; a first impression lists no reprints, while later printings add dated reprint lines.

Does Constable & Co. Ltd use a number line?

About 1920 to about 1960: 'First published (year)' on the copyright page; a first impression lists no reprints, while later printings add dated reprint lines.

Is a book-club edition a Constable & Co. Ltd first edition?

No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. The firm traces to the Edinburgh bookseller-publisher Archibald Constable (in business from 1795), Walter Scott's publisher, whose business suffered the 1826 financial collapse; the twentieth-century collected list is published by the modern London firm Archibald Constable & Co. (e.g. early George Bernard Shaw, the Constable edition of Conrad, Bram Stoker's Dracula in 1897).

What era does this cover?

This covers Constable & Co. Ltd (c.1890-present (modern firm); historic Edinburgh house from 1795). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.