How to identify a first printing
- 1888–c.1903: cheap-library and mail-order publisher; issues carry the 'F. Tennyson Neely' imprint (Chicago and New York, with London added in 1897) — no first-edition statement, so identify by imprint form, dated title page, and advertisement/bound-in-ad state.
- Series titles (Neely's Library/Booklet Library): the series number and the bound-in ad list date the issue; reused plates make catalog/ad state the practical first-issue tell.
- Priority between cloth and paper-wrapper issues is judged by advertisements and price, not by any printed statement.
Notable points & cautions
- Firm founded in Chicago in 1888; New York branch and, in 1897, a London branch followed. Neely claimed to publish roughly a book a day at peak.
- Issued genuine first editions of notable titles, including Robert W. Chambers' 'The King in Yellow' (1895); also published Oppenheim, Anthony Hope, and others.
- Typical late-19c cheap-series identification: rely on advertisement/series state, not edition statements.
- Firm went bankrupt in 1899 amid accounting irregularities; Neely reestablished it in 1901 and it failed again by 1903.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: F. Tennyson Neely, Neely's Library / Neely's Booklet Library (series), F. Tennyson Neely Co.. Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my F. Tennyson Neely book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. 1888–c.1903: cheap-library and mail-order publisher; issues carry the 'F. Tennyson Neely' imprint (Chicago and New York, with London added in 1897) — no first-edition statement, so identify by imprint form, dated title page, and advertisement/bound-in-ad state. Series titles (Neely's Library/Booklet Library): the series number and the bound-in ad list date the issue; reused plates make catalog/ad state the practical first-issue tell.
Does F. Tennyson Neely use a number line?
Series titles (Neely's Library/Booklet Library): the series number and the bound-in ad list date the issue; reused plates make catalog/ad state the practical first-issue tell.
Is a book-club edition a F. Tennyson Neely first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Firm founded in Chicago in 1888; New York branch and, in 1897, a London branch followed. Neely claimed to publish roughly a book a day at peak.
What era does this cover?
This covers F. Tennyson Neely (1888–c.1903). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.
F. Tennyson Neely titles with documented first-edition points
Each link opens that title’s specific points of issue — the exact marks that separate a true first printing from a later one.
- The King in Yellow (Robert W. Chambers, 1895)