Twain, Mark
Rare books by Mark Twain, including first editions, signed copies, and handsome sets of his collected works.
Mark Twain (1835–1910) was the pen name of Samuel Clemens, a journalist and the author of numerous short stories and novels set in the American south. His first great success was the story “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”, published in The Saturday Press on November 18, 1865. In 1867 the tale was included in Twain’s first book, a collection of short stories of the same name. In the 1870s he began writing books based on his childhood in Missouri, a rural slave state, and on his work piloting a Mississippi River steamboat. The first of these, Tom Sawyer, was initially published in 1876 by Chatto & Windus of London in order to secure British copyright, and in the US later that year by subscription. It was followed by Twain’s masterpiece, Huckleberry Finn, published in London in 1884 and in the US in 1885. Controversial since its first appearance, this novel criticised racist attitudes while brilliantly capturing the language and rhythms of life along the Mississippi. During his career Twain penned hundreds of other essays, stories, and novels, and became one of America’s first literary celebrities, but he is still most celebrated for Huckleberry Finn, one of the foundational work of American literature.
[CLEMENS, Samuel Langhorne] TWAIN, Mark.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. 1876
£57,500
First American edition, first printing, printed on wove paper, with the half-title and frontispiece printed on separate leaves (verso of half-title and recto of frontispiece blank)....
Square octavo. Original blue vertically-ribbed cloth decoratively stamped in black and gilt and lettered in gilt and blind on front cover and spine, back cover... Read more
[CLEMENS, Samuel Langhorne] TWAIN, Mark.
Autograph manuscript of chapter 48 of A Tramp Abroad. [c. 1879–80]
£50,000
Twain's autograph manuscript of "My Collection of Bric-A-Brac", chapter XX of A Tramp Abroad, originally published in 1880. This chapter details Twain's passion for collecting...
Octavo (200 × 135 mm), 43-leaf autograph manuscript in purple and black ink and pencil, generally rectos only, with numerous corrections, each leaf on a... Read more
[CLEMENS, Samuel Langhorne] TWAIN, Mark.
The Writings. 1899–1903
£25,000
Limited edition, number 96 of 620 sets of the "Author's Edition de Luxe" signed "SL Clemens (Mark Twain)". In this set, volume I has three items of original autograph material bound...
25 volumes, octavo (206 × 144 mm). Contemporary full ochre morocco, covers panelled in gilt to a geometric art-nouveau design, spine with four raised bands,... Read more
[CLEMENS, Samuel Langhorne] TWAIN, Mark.
The Writings. 1929
£25,000
Memorial edition. Limited to 90 sets with a page of original manuscript material bound in. Signed by the publisher.
37 volumes, octavo (217 × 144 mm). Finely bound by Bayntun, mid twentieth century, in crimson full crushed morocco, spines gilt in compartments between five... Read more
[CLEMENS, Samuel Langhorne] TWAIN, Mark.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. 1876
£25,000
First edition, published on 9 June, thus preceding the first American edition that appeared in mid-December by some six months. Twain chose to have the book published first in London...
Octavo. Original red cloth with border and cover design blocked in black and lettering in gilt, cream coated endpapers. Housed in a burgundy quarter morocco solander... Read more
[CLEMENS, Samuel Langhorne] TWAIN, Mark.
The Complete Writings. 1922
£12,500
The Definitive Edition, signed "S L Clemens / Mark Twain" in volume 1, limited to 1024 numbered sets. The publisher states that Twain intended a definitive collected edition and so...
37 volumes, octavo. Bound in recent full burgundy morocco, crimson and dark green labels, decoration to spines, raised bands, roll to boards, marbled endpapers, top... Read more
[CLEMENS, Samuel Langhorne] TWAIN, Mark.
The Complete Writings. 1922
£8,750
The Definitive Edition, limited to 1,024 numbered sets, each signed "S L Clemens / Mark Twain". Clemens planned a definitive and complete edition of his works before his death and,...
Octavo. 37 volumes. Finely bound in recent tan half calf with red and green labels, in filled gilt design to spine, raised bands, marbled boards, all edges cut.... Read more
[CLEMENS, Samuel Langhorne] TWAIN, Mark.
The Complete Writings. 1929
£7,500
The Stormfield edition. Limited to1024 numbered sets with a card signed by Twain tipped onto the limitation page. "It was Mark Twain's most cherished desire that a definitive and...
37 volumes, octavo. Recent full green morocco, spines gilt in compartments, burgundy morocco labels, marbled endpapers, decorative roll to boards and top edges gilt,... Read more
([CLEMENS, Samuel Langhorne] TWAIN, Mark.) GESSFORD, Joseph G.
Autographed photograph, black and white half length portrait of Mark Twain. 1908
£6,750
Inscribed above and beneath the image by the author "To Mrs. F. B. Rice with the best wishes of Mark Twain" and dated "Feb. 20 / 08". Signed and dated by the photographer lower left....
Photogravure. Image size 24 x 17 cm. Paper size 35 x 26 cm. Framed and glazed. Read more
[CLEMENS, Samuel Langhorne] TWAIN, Mark.
The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg 1900
£6,000
First UK Edition, (a reprint of the American edition except for "Christian science and the Book of Mrs Eddy" and "Diplomatic Pay and Clothes" which are absent from the American...
Octavo, pp. [viii] + 414 + [ii] + 32 adverts. Publisher's orange cloth boards, gilt titles to spine, front board pictorially stamped in yellow and black. in protective... Read more
[CLEMENS, Samuel Langhorne] TWAIN, Mark.
The Writings. [1911]
£3,500
Author's national edition.
25 volumes, octavo. Recent burgundy half morocco, titles and decoration to spines, raised bands, burgundy cloth boards, cream endpapers, top edges gilt. Monchrome... Read more
[CLEMENS, Samuel Langhorne] TWAIN, Mark.
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. 1884
£1,250
First Edition, First Issue. With publisher's catalogue dated Oct 1884. The English edition precedes the American first edition.
Octavo (184 × 122 mm). Original red cloth, titles to upper board and spine gilt, illustration to upper board and spine in black, publisher's device to lower board... Read more
[CLEMENS, Samuel Langhorne] TWAIN, Mark.
The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson. 1894
£575
First US edition, first printing, with the text block measuring 11/8 inches and the title leaf conjugate with <1>3. Originally published in the UK in the same year. A very attractive...
Octavo. Original brown cloth, titles to spine and upper board gilt, arabesque designs in black, grey endpapers, red speckled edges. Portrait frontispiece, engravings... Read more
[CLEMENS, Samuel Langhorne] TWAIN, Mark.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. 1890
£450
An attractively bound illustrated edition.
Octavo (209 × 158 mm). Early twentieth-century brown half morocco, spine gilt in compartments, marbled sides and endpapers, top edge gilt, others marbled.... Read more
[CLEMENS, Samuel Langhorne] TWAIN, Mark.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. 1922
£375
Volume 8 of the definitive edition of Mark Twain's writings. A handsomely bound copy.
Octavo (218 × 145 mm). Contemporary brown half morocco, titles to spine, raised bands, brown cloth boards, cream endpapers, top edge gilt. With black and white... Read more
[CLEMENS, Samuel Langhorne] TWAIN, Mark.
Following the Equator. 1897
£375
First edition, first issue. This copy with the favoured single Hartford imprint, and the signature mark 11 at p.161. Having invested heavily in revolutionary, and flawed, typesetting...
Large octavo. Original blue cloth, illustration and design to front board, titles and decoration to spine gilt. Illustrated by 11 different illustrators. Foxing to the... Read more
[CLEMENS, Samuel Langhorne] TWAIN, Mark.
Roughing It. 1922
£275
Volume 3 and 4 of the definitive edition of Mark Twain's writings. A handsomely bound copy.
2 volumes, octavo (218 × 145 mm). Contemporary brown half morocco, titles to spine, raised bands, brown cloth boards, cream endpapers, top edge gilt. With black... Read more
[CLEMENS, Samuel Langhorne] TWAIN, Mark.
The American Claimant. 1892
£275
First Edition.
Octavo. Recent full green morocco, titles and decoration to spine gilt, rule to boards gilt, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. Original cloth spine and front board... Read more
[CLEMENS, Samuel Langhorne] TWAIN, Mark.
More Tramps Abroad. 1897
£250
First UK edition, first impression with Sept. 1987 ads. This book was titled Following the Equator in the US. It is possible this was issued before the US edition as the records are...
Octavo. Original red blindstamped wave patterned cloth, titles to front cover and spine gilt, top edge gilt. A bright copy, lightly rubbed to edges and corners Read more
