Books

New York: C. H. Webb, 1867. First edition, first state of Twain's first book, with unbroken type on pages 21, 66 and 198 and the advertising page intact, which indicates the book was one of the 1000 of the very first printing. Good unrestored copy in the unusual purple binding, with the deep lavender cloth over beveled boards, frog in usual position in gilt on front cover and in blind on rear cover. Covers scuffed and unevenly faded, spine faded to a warm brown, sipne ends chipped, modest wear to corners, hinges good (very minor surface cracking to upper and lower extremities), text block sound, horizontal crease to page 127 (which would have occurred during the printing process), pages clean, old gift notation to E. R. Purple from James Tufts on front free endpaper, large personal bookplate inside front cover.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Good. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall.

The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, also known as 'The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County' is an 1865 short story by Mark Twain. It was his first great success as a writer and brought him national attention. The story is set in a gold-mining camp in Calaveras County, California, and the plot revolves around a jumping frog contest. Twain's narrative follows the gambler Jim Smiley, who has a frog that can jump higher than any other frog. This humorous tale is also known for its colorful characters, including the narrator, who is drawn into the story by the loquacious storyteller, Simon Wheeler.

The first edition can be identified by the publisher Charles Henry Webb and the year 1865. It's also important to note any inscription or printing errors that are known to exist only in the first edition copies.