Early printing of the first American edition
Publisher and Year: New York: Thomas Y. Crowell & Co., 1886 [but 1887]
Edition: First American edition, early printing (six titles on the leaf facing the title page and the rear catalog starting with "Dostoevsky's Works"). The first printing would have no titles listed at the front of the book and the rear catalog would be headed with "Crowell's Red Line Poets." Of note, Crowell did not update the publication year or mark reprintings of the novel throughout the 1880s and 1890s. The present example dates to approximately 1887, with the latest title advertised at the front (Tolstoy's The Invaders) published in October of that year. Later printings would have a greater number of titles listed and advertise books printed in later years.
Condition and Description: Octavo, brown cloth stamped in gilt, 773 pp. (+ 3 pp. glossary and 4 pp. catalog). Gilt bright; moderate rubbing to the extremities; spine ends a little frayed; mild rubbing and scratching to the cloth; slight spine slant. Firm hinges. Secure binding, though with some instances of over-opening. Surname in ink to the first blank leaf (“Bright”) and the complete name below it also in ink (“Mary G. Bright”), otherwise free of writing. Pages notably bright with only very occasional minor imperfections.
Bibliographic Note: Crowell's Russian books have never been the subject of a formal descriptive bibliography. However, some issue points have been established. The first printing of Anna Karenina (1) did not advertise any titles on the leaf facing the title page and (2) used a rear catalog without any of Crowell's other Russian works listed (to this point, only two had been translated and published).
Subsequent printings of Anna Karenina are identifiable by the number of titles listed on the leaf facing the title page. As the number of titles listed increased, so did the publication dates of the advertised content, making differences in priority clear. For example, whereas the present copy (6 titles) advertises Tolstoy's The Invaders (published by Crowell in 1887), copies listing 17 titles at the front include Tolstoy's Power and Liberty (written in Russian in 1888 and published by Crowell in 1889).
Of note, the year 1890 marked two significant changes to Crowell's edition. One is the change of floral endpapers to plain stock, and the other is the removal of the 13 Astor Place address on the title page, a consequence of the firm's relocation to 46 East 14th Street in May of that year.
“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”
Inventory ID: 994 - 156 - 533
Early printing of the first American edition
Publisher and Year: New York: Thomas Y. Crowell & Co., 1886 [but 1887]
Edition: First American edition, early printing (six titles on the leaf facing the title page and the rear catalog starting with "Dostoevsky's Works"). The first printing would have no titles listed at the front of the book and the rear catalog would be headed with "Crowell's Red Line Poets." Of note, Crowell did not update the publication year or mark reprintings of the novel throughout the 1880s and 1890s. The present example dates to approximately 1887, with the latest title advertised at the front (Tolstoy's The Invaders) published in October of that year. Later printings would have a greater number of titles listed and advertise books printed in later years.
Condition and Description: Octavo, brown cloth stamped in gilt, 773 pp. (+ 3 pp. glossary and 4 pp. catalog). Gilt bright; moderate rubbing to the extremities; spine ends a little frayed; mild rubbing and scratching to the cloth; slight spine slant. Firm hinges. Secure binding, though with some instances of over-opening. Surname in ink to the first blank leaf (“Bright”) and the complete name below it also in ink (“Mary G. Bright”), otherwise free of writing. Pages notably bright with only very occasional minor imperfections.
Bibliographic Note: Crowell's Russian books have never been the subject of a formal descriptive bibliography. However, some issue points have been established. The first printing of Anna Karenina (1) did not advertise any titles on the leaf facing the title page and (2) used a rear catalog without any of Crowell's other Russian works listed (to this point, only two had been translated and published).
Subsequent printings of Anna Karenina are identifiable by the number of titles listed on the leaf facing the title page. As the number of titles listed increased, so did the publication dates of the advertised content, making differences in priority clear. For example, whereas the present copy (6 titles) advertises Tolstoy's The Invaders (published by Crowell in 1887), copies listing 17 titles at the front include Tolstoy's Power and Liberty (written in Russian in 1888 and published by Crowell in 1889).
Of note, the year 1890 marked two significant changes to Crowell's edition. One is the change of floral endpapers to plain stock, and the other is the removal of the 13 Astor Place address on the title page, a consequence of the firm's relocation to 46 East 14th Street in May of that year.
“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”
Inventory ID: 994 - 156 - 533
Image 1 of 16
Image 2 of 16
Image 3 of 16
Image 4 of 16
Image 5 of 16
Image 6 of 16
Image 7 of 16
Image 8 of 16
Image 9 of 16
Image 10 of 16
Image 11 of 16
Image 12 of 16
Image 13 of 16
Image 14 of 16
Image 15 of 16
Image 16 of 16