Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 15

Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain, First UK Edition, Original Boards, 1883

$2,850
£2,188.53
€2,510.58
CA$4,004.58
A$4,484.88
CHF 2,340.14
MX$54,780.90
NOK 29,773.36
SEK 28,064.96
DKK 18,736.18

About the Item

Twain, Mark. Life on the Mississippi. With over 300 illustrations. London: Chatto & Windus, 1883. First UK Edition. 8vo. Original red pictorial cloth boards, embossed in black and lettered in gilt. Illustrated. Presented is the first UK edition of Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain. The book was published by Chatto & Windus, in London in 1883. This UK first edition precedes the American first edition by five days. The book is presented in its original red cloth pictorial boards, embossed in black and lettered in gilt on the front and spine, and profusely illustrated throughout, with over 300 illustrations. Life on the Mississippi is the memoir of Twain’s days as a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River. The book portrays the lives of people along the banks of the famous river. Through his anecdotes, Twain describes the steamboat age and provides his own commentary on greed, gullibility, and architecture. The story takes place just before the Civil War amongst rapid change in the still-young country. In the book, Twain comments on the spread of railroads throughout the South and West to compete with steamboats, as well as the lifestyles of the people who rely on the river for everyday life. "The material offered by observations on the journey is various beyond enumeration, and much of it is extremely amusing. Hoaxes and exaggerations palmed off by pilots and other natives along the way upon supposed ignorant strangers; stories of gamblers and obsolete robbers; glimpses of character and manners; descriptions of scenery and places; statistics of trade; Indian legends; extracts from the comments of foreign travelers, -- all these occur, interspersed with two or three stories of either humorous or tragic import, or of both together" (The Atlantic Monthly, September 1883). CONDITION: Very good condition. First UK Edition. 8vo. Original red pictorial cloth boards embossed and stamped with black illustrations on the front and spine, gilt titles to front and spine, black embossed Chatto & Windus logo on back boards. The front and back boards are very bright, the spine’s red cloth has darkened. Spine is faded and rubbed at extremities. Original endpapers. Hinges repaired at folds and corners a little rubbed. Minor splitting of endpapers along the front hinge at top and back hinges, but still intact. Clean interior pages, with light toning and occasional spotting. Frontispiece illustration of "The 'Baton Rouge'" plus over 300 more black and white illustrations. 561 pp., plus 32 pp. publisher's catalog "Chatto & Windus's List of Books," dated March 1883. BAL 3410. Dimensions: 7 5/8" H x 5 1/2" W x 1 5/8" D. Accompanied by our company's letter of authenticity.
  • Creator:
    Mark Twain (Author)
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 7.63 in (19.39 cm)Width: 5.5 in (13.97 cm)Depth: 1.63 in (4.15 cm)
  • Style:
    High Victorian (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
    Fabric,Paper,Embossed,Gilt
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    1883
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use. Minor structural damages. Minor fading.
  • Seller Location:
    Colorado Springs, CO
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: BK12151stDibs: LU909745127842

More From This Seller

View All
Following the Equator: A Journey Around the World by Mark Twain, First Edition
By Mark Twain
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Twain, Mark. Following the Equator: A Journey Around the World. Hartford: The American Publishing Company, 1897. First Edition. Rebound in publisher’s blue cloth laid down, with colo...
Category

Antique 1890s American Victorian Books

Materials

Leather, Fabric, Paper

Roughing It by Mark Twain, First American Edition, Later State, 1872
By Mark Twain
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Twain, Mark, Roughing It. Hartford: American Publishing Company, 1872. First American Edition, Later State. Illustrated throughout, with plates and in-text. In publisher’s black clo...
Category

Antique 1870s American Books

Materials

Fabric, Paper

The Overland Guide From the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean, Revised, 1883
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Gleed, Charles S, ed. Rand, McNally & Co.'s Overland Guide From the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean Via Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and California. Chicago: Rand, McNally & Co., 1883. Revised Edition. Rebound in ¼ red leather and cloth boards, with original cloth gilt-stamped pictorial front board saved, new marbled endpapers, and a custom archival slipcase to match. Illustrated throughout with engravings. This is a “Revised Edition” of the Rand, McNally & Co.'s Overland Guide From the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean, via Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and California. The book was edited by Charles S. Gleed and published by Rand, McNally & Co., in Chicago in 1883. It has been artfully rebound in ¼ red leather and cloth boards, with the original gilt-stamped pictorial front cloth board saved, new marbled endpapers, and a matching archival cloth slipcase. As explained in the beginning of the guidebook, the purpose of the book is “to give the reader a satisfactory general idea of the States and Territories of Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, through which the traveler passes in going from the Missouri river to the Pacific ocean, or vice versa, entering or leaving California at its southern extremity.” Following the southern route of railways, editor Charles Gleed lays out in extensive detail information on each state, including population numbers, key industries, important towns and railway stations, farming and agriculture, mining opportunities, and weather patterns. Throughout the guidebook are countless engravings, both full page and in-text, from well known engravers of the time. Meant to further entice readers to take this overland journey, the illustrations offer views of key tourist spots, townviews, and scenic destinations, throughout the featured states of Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. The guidebook is also supplemented by pages of printed advertisements in the beginning of the book, showcasing local businesses, services, and wares. Charles Sumner...
Category

Antique 1880s American Late Victorian Books

Materials

Leather, Fabric, Paper

Report upon the Colorado River of the West by Joseph Ives, First Edition, 1861
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Ives, Joseph Christmas. Report upon the Colorado River of the West. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1861. First Edition, Senate Issue. Extensively illustrated with maps, engr...
Category

Antique 1860s American Books

Materials

Fabric, Paper

The Crack Shot; or, Young Rifleman's Complete Guide by Edward C. Barber, 1868
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Barber, Edward C. The Crack Shot; or, Young Rifleman's Complete Guide: Being a Treatise on the Use of the Rifle, With Rudimentary and Finishing Lessons; Including a Full Description ...
Category

Antique 1860s American Late Victorian Books

Materials

Fabric, Paper

The History of the Discovery and Settlement of America by W. Robertson, 1835
By William Robertson
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Robertson, William, Frost, John. The History of the Discovery and Settlement of America, With an Account of His Life and Writings, To which are added Questions for the Examination of...
Category

Antique 1830s American Early Victorian Books

Materials

Leather, Fabric, Paper

You May Also Like

Mark TWAIN. The Prince and the Pauper. FIRST EDITION SECOND STATE - 1882
Located in Hillsborough, NJ
AUTHOR: TWAIN, Mark (Samuel Clemens). TITLE: The Prince and the Pauper: A Tale for Young People of All Ages. PUBLISHER: Boston: James R. Osgood, 1882. DESCRIPTION: FIRST EDITION ...
Category

Antique 1880s British Books

Materials

Leather

12 Contes / 12 Stories by Mark Twain, illustrated by Jean Trubert
Located in Middletown, NY
A collection of twelve stories by Mark Twain, translated into French and amusingly illustrated in color by Jean Trubert (1909 – 1983) a well known and prolific comic strip designer a...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Books

Materials

Gold Leaf

Antique Book, Bones and I, Whyte-Melville, English, Novel, Victorian, Circa 1880
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is an antique book, Bones & I by George Whyte-Melville. An English language, bound novel, dating to the late Victorian period, circa 1880. First published in 1868, Bones & I is a humorous novel written about a man - Jack Raggles - who gains possession of a human skeleton. Written by George Whyte-Melville (1821 - 1878), the book is a comedic and macabre blend of satire and class division. Nicely presented example of this unusual title Displays a desirable aged patina, lightly time-worn but intact Bound with cloth over board in navy blue with gold...
Category

Antique Late 19th Century British Late Victorian Books

Materials

Paper

Antique Novel, The Snow Ship, Percy St John, English, Fiction, Victorian, C.1880
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is an antique novel The Snow Ship by Percy St. John. An English language fiction book with secondary title Merchant of Yakoutsk, dating to the Vict...
Category

Antique Late 19th Century British Victorian Books

Materials

Paper

Antique Novel, A Legend of Montrose, Sir Walter Scott, English, Victorian Book
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is an antique novel, A Legend of Montrose by Sir Walter Scott. An English, bound book of Scottish interest, dating to the Victorian period, published 1896. A prominent Scottish author, Sir Walter Scott (1771 - 1832) is well known for the novels Rob Roy, Ivanhoe and The Heart of Midlothian, as well as narrative poems including The Lady of the Lake. A Legend of Montrose is set in 17th century...
Category

Antique Late 19th Century British Victorian Books

Materials

Paper

Antique The Fables Book, Historic Literature, English, Illustrated, Victorian
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is a superb antique edition of 'The Fables' by Jean de La Fontaine, translated into English verse by Walter Thornbury and illustrated throughout by Gustave Doré. A fine, intact ...
Category

Antique 1870s British Victorian Books

Materials

Paper