An Autobiography [bound together with four other novels in the Franklin Square Library Series: "All in a Garden Fair" by Walter Besant; "A Noble Wife" by John Saunders; "Under the Red Flag" by M. E. Braddon; and "Maid of Athens" by Justin McCarthy.

Trollope, Anthony; Besant, Walters; Saunders, John; Braddon, M. E.; McCarthy, Justin

Price: 850.00 USD

New York: Harper & Brothers, 1883. Harper & Brothers, New York, 1883. Wrappers. Book Condition: Very Good + to Near Fine. First edition. An extremely rare (of the "utmost rarity" per Smith) copy of the TRUE FIRST AMERICAN EDITION of Trollope's "An Autobiography", published by Harper & Brothers in their newspaper format Franklin Square Library. (This edition was published simultaneously with Blackwood's first English edition. The Preface by Trollope's son, Henry, was not published in this, the First American, issue of the work.) This is a Very Good + to Near Fine copy of the TRUE FIRST AMERICAN EDITION PUBLISHED SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE FIRST ENGLISH EDITION, bound in 3 / 4 leather with cloth boards (edge wear and spotting to the boards, some damage to the bottom right corner of the front board, tiny closed marginal tear to bottom margin of the first leaf, expected age toning to the pages). Unlike almost all (i.e. the few) extant issues in the series, the RARE OUTER WRAPPER IS PRESENT. This copy is in remarkable condition given the ephemeral nature of the publication. The Franklin Square Library series was published by Harper to meet the large demand for literature at a low price. Usually selling for 10 or 15 cents a copy, the series eventually replaced Harper's Library of Select Novels Series and its Half-Hour Series. Trollope's "Is He Popenjoy" was the first issue in the Series and all of the remaining Trollope works published by Harper (except for some of his nonfiction works) were published in this Series. (Munro published the first American editions of Trollope's "Cousin Henry", "Two Heroines of Plumplington" and "The Landleaguers" in his newspaper format Seaside Library series.) (See Smith's Bibliography of Trollope's US publications.) Smith states: "This new series and its advertising logic sounded the death knell for collectors. First editions in this series are no longer books, but newspapers. Their fragility, format, and ephemeral makeup discouraged most buyers from keeping them. Few have survived." According to Smith, these issues are "rarely seen for sale and are usually found only in private collections and in certain research libraries." An extraordinary opportunity for the Trollope collector. As with Trollope's first novels, the chance to own one is unlikely to arise often, if at all, for almost all collectors. In fact, most Trollope collectors will never see this issue, much less own one. ( This RARE copy of Trollope's Autobiography is bound with four other novels in the Franklin Square Library Series: "All in a Garden Fair" by Walter Besant; "A Noble Wife" by John Saunders; "Under the Red Flag" by M. E. Braddon; and "Maid of Athens" by Justin McCarthy.) AN EXTREMELY RARE ISSUE OF THE FIRST AMERICAN EDITION OF TROLLOPE'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY, PUBLISHED SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE FIRST ENGLISH EDITION. A collection distinguishing copy. Avoid the collectors' "death knell" and purchase it. First American edition. Very Good +.