First Edition, First Printing, First Issue Copy of King Solomon’s Mines at 2009 New York Antiquarian Books Fair

In November, 1885, Cassell & Company published H. Rider Haggard’s King Solomon’s Mines, bound in red cloth, stamped in gold and black, and with yellow coated endpapers. As Haggard’s previous work had not sold very well the book was released in a printing of only a thousand copies. To the author’s and publisher’s delight, that first printing immediately sold out. Another 11,000 copies were printed as fast as possible. By the end of December, 1885, they, too, sold out. King Solomon’s Mines was a smash hit, an instant best seller.

The first printing was divided into two separate issues. The text errata are the same for both and the only way to distinguish between the two is by the date of the advertisements at the rear. The date for the first issue ads is August 1885, the date for the second issue ads is October,1885. Subsequent printings have corrected text and ads dated November and December 1885.

So, why would a book published in November have ads in it dated to the prior August and October? No great mystery here, just the prosaic reason that the ads had been previously printed and inserted into earlier titles from Cassell, who inserted the leftovers into this later book until they had run out of them. Then, Cassell printed up-to-date advertisements and used them for the later printings.

And why is this first issue so rare? After all, there were five hundred copies; where’d they go?

Cassell’s major problem with the book was that it couldn’t print copies fast enough to satisfy the public’s fervor for it. Cassell had advertised it as “The Most Amazing Book Ever Written,” an adventure story at a time when lost civilizations where beginning to be discovered by 19th century British adventurers and Africa (“The Dark Continent”) was just beginning to be explored. Centered upon those ripe subjects, King Solomon’s Mines captured the imagination of a British public hungry for novelty and tales of British derring-do.

With demand high and supply low, friends gave friends their copy to read; copies were further passed around to multiple readers; the earliest copies were, ultimately and literally, read to pieces.

In twenty-five years, I’ve never seen one. David Brass, with forty-two years in the trade, has only seen three first issue copies. The first edition, first printing, first issue is one of the Holy Grails for collectors of 19th century British literature in general and Lost World genre collectors in particular.

When I saw this book at the 2009 New York Antiquarian Book Fair last week, I could hardly believe it. Chances are, I may not see another copy in my lifetime.

Sadleir 1089. Wolff 2863. Scott 4.