Books

New York: C. H. Webb, 1867. First edition, second printing. Hardcover. This is an atypically clean and well-preserved first edition, second printing of Mark Twain's first book, a collection of anecdotes and sketches. The “poor sales” of the book failed to presage the future commanding fame of the author, who would become both an iconic and formative figure in American literature. Per BAL (Volume 2, p.174), copies were bound in a variety of hued cloth, none of which is given precedence, these being “blue; brown; green; lavender; plum; terra-cotta; red.” This copy is bound in the publisher’s brown cloth. The first edition featured a gilt-stamped frog, placed either “at the lower left corner in a diagonal position with the head pointing to the upper right corner” or “in the center of the cover in a vertical position with the head pointing up.” No precedence is given to either variant. This copy features the frog at the lower left corner. The first printing (1,000 copies) is…

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.