Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain – 1885 | First Printing in Original Green Cloth

The 1885 Huckleberry Finn Twain first edition listed here is one of the earliest American editions, issued by Charles L. Webster and containing the recognized first state and early state indicators. This example remains in the publisher’s original green cloth, consistent with the earliest form in which Twain’s most iconic novel entered American readers’ hands. Bibliographic authorities confirm this configuration as the initial form distributed to the public.

Kemble’s illustrations are consistent with the first printing’s issue, printed in clear impressions across the text. Paper stock, type setting, and margins conform to Webster’s initial run. No signs of later issue substitutions or married leaves are evident.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Tom Sawyer’s Comrade)
• Author(s): Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain)
• Illustrator(s): Edward Windsor Kemble
• Publisher: New York, Charles L. Webster and Company
• Edition: First American Edition, First Printing, 1885.
  • conjugate title page with copyright dated 1884;
  • frontispiece portrait does not show the tablecloth
  • the incorrect “Huck Decided” on page 9;
  • the mislocated illustration on the list at page 13;
  • the uncorrected “with the was” on page 57;
  • the incorrect captioned image “Him and another man” on page 87;
  • the missing “l” in “Col.” and broken “b” in “body” on page 143;
  • page 161 without a signature mark;
  • and on page 155, the final digit “5” is present though slightly misaligned, consistent with early state production.
• Format: Octavo, single volume
• Binding: Publisher’s original green cloth
• Size:  8.75 in x 7 in (22 cm x 18 cm)
• Collation: 366 pp
• Illustrations: Numerous in-text illustrations; frontispiece portrait with Heliotype imprint, tablecloth not visible
• Contents Include:
  • Full original text
  • Illustrations by E. W. Kemble throughout
  • Notice, explanatory, and prefatory sections
• Provenance: Handwritten inscription, Essie Eson, Kingman Kansas, February 12^th, 1888
• Reference(s): BAL 3415; Grolier 100 American, no. 87

Condition:

Bound in green cloth with black stamping and gilt titling to spine and upper cover. Wear consistent with age is visible at the extremities, including fraying to corners and board edges. The spine gilt remains intact with moderate dulling. Internally, the text block is stable. Pages are complete, with some expected toning, mild to moderate foxing, and scattered handling marks. The frontispiece bears the Heliotype Printing Co. imprint, though tablecloth is not visible beneath the portrait. Illustrations are cleanly printed and evenly distributed throughout.

Why Collect This?

• Earliest printing confirmed through all first and early state points
• Publisher’s original cloth binding intact
• Priority illustrations and typographic variants present
• Referenced in major bibliographies (BAL, Grolier)
• High-interest example for collectors of Twain or 19th-century American fiction

Item Number: #28677