How to identify a first printing
- 1893-1894 (Cambridge, Mass.): earliest imprints read 'Stone & Kimball, Cambridge'; first editions carry no 'First Edition' statement. Identify by the Cambridge imprint, the dated title page, and the firm's distinctive book design, often including a colophon naming the press and any limitation.
- 1894-c.1896 (Chicago, after relocation): imprint reads 'Stone & Kimball, Chicago'; many titles are limited editions with a colophon or limitation statement giving the number of copies printed, which serves as the primary first-issue tell.
- 1895-1896 (New York / partnership split): when Kimball left, he took the book business and the Stone & Kimball name to New York, where the imprint appears briefly before the business failed and was reorganized as the Cheltenham Press; Herbert Stone continued in Chicago as Herbert S. Stone & Co. Distinguish the successor firms by imprint name and city. There is no printed 'First Edition' statement; rely on imprint form, dated title page, and bibliography points.
- Authoritative reference: Sidney Kramer, 'A History of Stone & Kimball and Herbert S. Stone & Co., with a Bibliography of Their Publications, 1893-1905' (1940), which supplies issue points title by title.
Notable points & cautions
- Landmark 1890s aesthetic-movement trade publisher founded by Herbert Stuart Stone and Hannibal Ingalls Kimball while Harvard undergraduates.
- Published The Chap-Book, an influential little magazine, and elegantly designed editions with colophons and limitation statements.
- At the split, Kimball took the Stone & Kimball book business to New York (it soon failed and became the Cheltenham Press) while Herbert Stone formed Herbert S. Stone & Co. in Chicago, publisher of House Beautiful; the Stone firm dissolved by 1905.
- Distinctive typography and press colophons are design tells, not edition statements.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Stone & Kimball, Herbert S. Stone & Co. (successor, 1896-1905), The Chap-Book (periodical), Green Tree Library, Carnation Series. Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Stone & Kimball book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. 1893-1894 (Cambridge, Mass.): earliest imprints read 'Stone & Kimball, Cambridge'; first editions carry no 'First Edition' statement. Identify by the Cambridge imprint, the dated title page, and the firm's distinctive book design, often including a colophon naming the press and any limitation. 1894-c.1896 (Chicago, after relocation): imprint reads 'Stone & Kimball, Chicago'; many titles are limited editions with a colophon or limitation statement giving the number of copies printed, which serves as the primary first-issue tell.
Does Stone & Kimball use a number line?
1894-c.1896 (Chicago, after relocation): imprint reads 'Stone & Kimball, Chicago'; many titles are limited editions with a colophon or limitation statement giving the number of copies printed, which serves as the primary first-issue tell.
Is a book-club edition a Stone & Kimball first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Landmark 1890s aesthetic-movement trade publisher founded by Herbert Stuart Stone and Hannibal Ingalls Kimball while Harvard undergraduates.
What era does this cover?
This covers Stone & Kimball (1893-1896 (Stone & Kimball); Herbert S. Stone & Co. successor 1896-1905). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.