TWENTY THOUSAND LEAGUES UNDER THE SEAS (Very Scarce Salmon Colored Cloth)
JAMES R. OSGOOD & COMPANY, 1873. 1st Edition. Hardcover.
James R. Osgood and Company, 1873
First Edition, First printing: THE EXCEEDINGLY RARE TRUE FIRST AMERICAN EDITION, FIRST ISSUE, in the most scarce salmon cloth color, of Verne’s masterpiece of the sea, with the jellyfish vignette and lacking the final “s” in “Seas” on the cover, and with “The End” present on p. 303 (and printed in unbroken type). The first American edition, published by James Osgood, appeared in late 1872 (November of 1872), but all bear 1873 on the title page. The Osgood printing was published a few weeks after the British edition, and was likely bound from the same sheets. Few copies of this true first American edition are known to exist (with only about 50 copies surviving), it is believed most copies were destroyed in the Great Boston Fire, which occurred in the same month as publication. This copy is in the scarce original salmon-pink moire cloth, illustrated with 109 plates, including two maps, with jellyfish on the front board, and the incorrect use of the word “Sea” in the title on front board. The Osgood printing was issued in a few color options with no priority granted. Extremely scarce. Accompanied by a silk covered clamshell.
The book is in very good condition with salmon-pink moire cloth boards with gilt scenes and titles. The book as benefited from being professionally recased with the original cloth laid back down, and presents extremely well, but with fading to the spine cloth. The book has the original brown coated end papers, and tissue guard. The interior pages are overall remarkably clean with some very occasional scattered foxing/ or handling marks but NONE of the usual staining and NONE of the usual foxing. Repairs to the outer margin of 2 or 3 page edges. Neatly penciled owner name and date to the first blank page dated "December 1872". The book has no edgewear, and the binding is very tight and square. Unlike most other copies of this title which have poor/cracked bindings and loose pages, this book is tightly bound and is quite readable and not fragile. Has a spectacular presentation. Please see many detailed images.
Beautiful, rare, important Verne book in collectible condition with the scarce original end papers. Perfect for a Verne collector, presenting well on the shelf with a nice crisp readable binding, and without the excessive wear, and broken bindings as is typically found with Verne books. Accompanied by a silk covered clamshell.
“Twenty Thousand Leagues owed much to the exploits of the huge experimental French submarine Le Plongeur and to the work of Verne’s friend Jacques-François Conseil, who developed a steam-driven submarine and whose surname Verne gave to Professor Arronax’s servant in the story” (Carpenter & Prichard, 557). Verne combined science and invention with fast-paced adventure. Some of Verne’s fiction has also become a fact: his submarine Nautilus predated the first successful power submarine by a quarter century, and his spaceship predicted the development a century later. The first all-electric submarine, built in 1886, was named Nautilus in honor of Verne’s vessel. The first nuclear-powered submarine, launched in 1955, was named Nautilus, too. The film version was produced by Walt Disney in 1954 and directed by Richard Fleischer, won an Oscar for its special effects.
ADDIITONAL IMAGES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. Please see our ABE store for other landmark SciFi titles. Very Good. Item #3242
Price: $54,995.00