Beschreibung:

Title: The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, and Other Sketches Author: Twain, Mark Place: New York Publisher: C.H. Webb Date: 1867 Description: 198 pp. (12mo) 17x11 cm (6¾x4¼") original red cloth with gilt frog stamped at lower left of front cover and matching frog in blind at lower left of rear cover. First Edition, second printing. First edition of the author's first book. As the Zamorano Eighty relates, "Perhaps no short sketch of Twain's so quickly won wide popularity as did 'The Jumping Frog.' Calaveras County, California, is known to thousands who have never seen the Golden State simply because of this gem of humor. This little volume, the author's first published book, came into being under the sponsorship of Charles Henry Webb-who also edited it under his pseudonym of 'John Paul.' To accompany 'The Jumping Frog' he chose twenty-six other sketches, of which at least two, 'Curing a Cold' and 'The Story of the Bad Little Boy Who Didn't Come to Grief,' later attained the distinction of being incorporated into recitation books for the delectation of even wider audiences." This is the second printing, with the preliminary advertisement leaf inserted into the first printing not present, and with broken type on pages 21, 66 and 198. Originally issued in an edition of 1000 copies, another 550 copies were printed from the original stereotype plates some twenty days later - the present copy is from that second impression. An early Salt Lake City ownership signature on the title page. Some creasing to the bottom crease to title page, and to a few other pages within, which seems likely to have occurred during the printing or binding. BAL 3310. Lot Amendments Condition: Spine ends chipped, splitting to joints, corners rubbed, rear hinge cracking; about very good. Item number: 286486