1894 – Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen | First Peacock Edition

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen has come to be one of the most popular 19th-century romance novels in all of English literature, beloved as an iconic work of fiction that has had a tremendous influence on society, feminism, literature, and film. However, Austen’s masterpiece sat in relative obscurity from its original publication in 1813 until the production of this beautiful and fully-illustrated Peacock Edition in 1894. This first edition includes a memorable preface by English literary historian George Saintsbury, where he first coined the term “Janite” referring to scholars and readers who adamantly praise Austen’s works. Featuring a distinctive gilded peacock binding and a full suite of line drawings by Hugh Thomson, this rare first edition is the most sought-after edition for collectors of Austen’s works.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Pride and Prejudice
• Author: Jane Austen
• Illustrator: Hugh Thomson
• Contributor: George Saintsbury (preface)
• Publisher: London: George Allen
• Edition: First Peacock Edition, 1894
• Binding: Blue-green cloth with gilt peacock
• Format: Duodecimo (12mo), single volume
• Size: ~ 7.5in × 5in (18.5cm × 13cm)
• Collation: xxvii, [1], 476, [2] pp
• Illustrations: 160 line drawings, including frontispiece
• Contents Include:
  • Full novel text
  • Full suite of illustrations by Hugh Thomson
  • Preface by George Saintsbury
• Provenance: Prize bookplate from Sheffield School Board on front endpapers.

Condition:

Good. The cloth binding shows moderate edgewear, particularly at the spine ends, hinges, and corners. The gilt titling is faded but still visible. Some staining visible to front and rear boards. Front hinge repaired to be secure. Text block is somewhat loose but intact. Pages are very clean, with very little spotting confined to rear flyleaves.

Why Collect This?

• Most collectable first edition of Jane Austen’s works
• Features the artwork of Hugh Thomson
• Distinctive gilded peacock design

Item Number: #31306