How to Identify a Sampson Low (Sampson Low, Marston & Co.) First Edition

How to identify a first printing

• No printed edition statement on 19th-century firsts: use title-page date plus absence of any later-printing notice, and read the exact partnership style in the imprint (the firm's name changed repeatedly, which helps date a printing).
• Dated inserted advertisements or catalogue, usually at the rear; a first should not advertise later books.
• For co-published and American-authored titles (the firm was the British outlet for many U.S. books), establish whether the British issue precedes or follows the U.S. edition — priority is the key question, not a house rule.
• Match volume count, half-titles, and binding against the standard bibliography.

Notable points & cautions

• British publisher of many American authors and the authorised British publisher of Jules Verne in translation; also R. D. Blackmore's Lorna Doone (1869, 3 vols, as Sampson Low, Son & Marston) — a famous high spot with binding and issue points.
• Frequent changes of partnership name (Son & Marston; Marston, Searle & Rivington; Marston & Co.) are themselves a dating tool for printing order.
• Often issued British editions of works first published in the U.S.; transatlantic priority must be checked case by case.
• Imprint continued well into the 20th century under 'Sampson Low, Marston & Co.'

Imprints

First editions also appear under: Sampson Low, Son & Marston, Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington, Sampson Low, Marston & Company, Sampson Low (various partnership styles by era). Each generally follows the house convention above.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my Sampson Low (Sampson Low, Marston & Co.) book is a first edition?

Check the copyright page. No printed edition statement on 19th-century firsts: use title-page date plus absence of any later-printing notice, and read the exact partnership style in the imprint (the firm's name changed repeatedly, which helps date a printing). Dated inserted advertisements or catalogue, usually at the rear; a first should not advertise later books.

Does Sampson Low (Sampson Low, Marston & Co.) use a number line?

Dated inserted advertisements or catalogue, usually at the rear; a first should not advertise later books.

Is a book-club edition a Sampson Low (Sampson Low, Marston & Co.) first edition?

No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. British publisher of many American authors and the authorised British publisher of Jules Verne in translation; also R. D. Blackmore's Lorna Doone (1869, 3 vols, as Sampson Low, Son & Marston) — a famous high spot with binding and issue points.

What era does this cover?

This covers Sampson Low (Sampson Low, Marston & Co.) (1819–c.1940s (Victorian peak 1850s–1890s)). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.