first edition 1 vols. 8vo
1900 · New York
by Conrad, Joseph
New York: Doubleday McClure, 1900. First American edition, second state. 1 vols. 8vo. Original green cloth, stamped in darker green. Some faint foxing to prelims and terminal leaves, back cover with a stain, else almost fine. First American edition, second state. 1 vols. 8vo. First American edition of Conrad's great novel. At the time of publication, Doubleday & McClure were in the process of breaking up (into Doubleday Page, and McClure Philips), and there was some uncertainty as to which firm would inherit the rights to Lord Jim. In the first state, the copyright page reads "1900 by Doubleday, Page & Co.", and in the the second state the copyright reads "1899 and 1900 by Joseph Conrad." The first state is much scarcer than the second. Wise quotes Conrad autograph note on his copy of the American editions, as follows: "This is the first American edition, set up probably from English proofs, but neither revised nor in any other way corrected by me. It is probably much nearer the text of Blackwood's Magazine than the first English Edition in book form." Cagle A5b (2); Keating 27
(Inventory #: 303677)