Newport Vintage Books

The first American edition was published in NY in 1899 by Doubleday & McClure Co.  However, the book was first copyrighted in Westminster, England in 1897 by Archibald Constable and Company, 2 Whitehall Gardens --  thus the true first edition is indeed the British [UK] edition.  Any other editions carrying an 1897 imprint were published later.   A widespread source of confusion is the 1897 date which is found on most of the later reprints.  This merely corresponds to the British edition published in that year and is not an indicator of the year in which a particular edition was printed.

The first British edition was issued in yellow cloth with orange lettering on front and spine.  The front board is outlined in orange box.  The bottom of the book spine will have the imprint Constable // Westminster also in orange.  The first printing will omit the advertisement for "The Shoulder of Shasta" while later printings will include this advertisement.  Beginning in 1904, Constable & Co. changed to a black cloth binding with red design and gold title lettering.  The different states/issues of the 1st UK edition are summarized below.

Two years later, in 1899, the first American edition was issued by Doubleday & McClure with brown cloth binding.  In 1902, the 2nd edition was issued by Doubleday, Page & Co. with green cloth binding with front board image of Dracula with bat and wolf.  This edition was reissued in red cloth.  Beginning in 1909, the front cover image was changed to an image of Dracula's turreted castle atop a craggy mountainside with bats circling above.

The two most prevalent misidentifications occur with the popular Grosset & Dunlap (G&D) printings which were issued at a much later date.  The orange binding G&D StagePlay edition of Dracula was released in 1927 to coincide with the Broadway theatrical opening of 1927.  The red binding G&D PhotoPlay edition was released in 1931 to coincide with the Universal film . 

Other areas of confusion are later reprints by Grosset & Dunlap that feature a black cloth binding with red title lettering.  Just as with most other reprint editions, this printing again has the ubiquitous 1897 copyright date.  As it was common practice for reprint publishers such as A.L. Burt and Grosset & Dunlap to continually reuse earlier printing plates without any new edition or printing indications on the copyright page, collectors should instead seek out any change in the publisher imprint on the title page vs. the copyright page. 

It is important to pay particularly close attention to publisher advertisements at the end of the book text.  These advertisements commonly announced new publisher releases, so by cross-referencing the dates of these new releases it becomes much easier to determine the actual year that a particular edition was printed.  Of course, in the case of Grosset & Dunlap printings, this points to many editions issued during the late 1920s through the late 1940s.

As Van Helsing tried to do, let me put the nail in the coffin to any doubts about Grosset & Dunlap first editions -- there were NONE, in fact Grosset & Dunlap did not exist as a company until 1899.  Country Life Press [of Long Island] which actually printed these books for Grosset & Dunlap also was not in existence prior to 1900.

StagePlay Edition [1927]
The StagePlay edition of Dracula was released in 1927 to coincide with the Broadway theatrical opening at the Fulton Theatre in New York on Oct. 5, 1927 which ran for 261 performances through May 1928.  The Broadway play was produced by Horace Liveright a well-known New York book publisher.  The stageplay adaptation [of Bram Stoker's original novel] was written by Hamilton Dean and John Balderston.  Lugosi would not be the only one to reprise their role in the 1931 Universal movie, Edward Van Sloan [Abraham Van Helsing] also performed in both the stage and film versions.   The StagePlay dustjacket was paired with the orange cloth binding issue of the book.  There were a few different printings of this edition issued by Grosset & Dunlap.  The design for both of these Grosset & Dunlap StagePlay editions based on the Doubleday printing of 1914.  In addition to changing the publisher imprints on the book binding and title page, to further differentiate the 1927 Grosset & Dunlap edition from the 1914 Doubleday edition, Grosset & Dunlap changed the coloring of the dustjacket illustration [see photos].  were Typically there is a one page advertisement at the rear of the book text which commonly notes either "Detective Stories of J.S. Fletcher" [17 Titles - "The Kang-He Vase" to "The Valley of Headstrong Men"] or "Rafael Sabatini's Novels" [7 titles - "Mistress Wilding" to "Scaramouche"].  Cross-referencing the copyright dates of these titles will show many books listed in the rear advertisements from the mid 1920s -- further substantiating the 1927 dating.  Although the publisher did not do so, some collectors have informally coined this the 30th anniversary edition as it appeared 30 years after the 1897 first edition.   Contrary to seller claims, this edition is NOT rare or even semi-rare, in fact [without the original dustjacket], the orange cloth 1927 G&D StagePlay edition is the most commonly available of the pre-1940s printings, followed by the red cloth 1931 G&D regular edition and the 1931 G&D PhotoPlay edition.  Despite claims of rarity, this orange cloth edition is found nearly weekly on popular internet auction sites.  The truth is only editions with nice original dustjackets should be considered or even described as semi-rare.  Without the ever-important dustjackets, and in view of their regular appearance for sale, these G&D Dracula books should optimistically be categorized as scarce at best. Because of collector confusion mistaking this for a first edition along with seller claims of rarity, this edition sells for prices ranging from $25 to $250 without a dustjacket.  This book would only merit the higher price if it had a very good original dustjacket.  Unfortunately buyers often pay much more than necessary -- it all depends on how misled online bidders are by seller claims.
G&D 1927 StagePlay	G&D 1927 Title Page	G&D 1927 Ad Page
Doubleday, Page 1913 Dustjacket and Grosset & Dunlap 1927 StagePlay Dustjacket The full dustjacket for this book can be seen in the horror section of our web store.

For more extensive information, collectors may wish to refer to the following bibliographies:

Dalby, Richard: Bram Stoker: A Bibliography of First Editions (London: Dracula Press, 1983)

Eighteen-Bisang, Robert & J. Gordon Melton: Dracula: A Century of Editions, Adaptations and Translations, Part I: English Language Editions [(TSD Occasional Publication #1) (Santa Barbara, CA: Transylvanian Society of Dracula, 1998)]

The first edition (in book form) was published by A.C. McClurg of Chicago.  The pulp magazine form was issued in October 1912 in the October issue of All-Story.  The hardcover book was not released until June 17, 1914.

The hardcover first edition was published in dark red cloth binding with gold lettering on front and spine.  The first printing included 5,000 copies.  Contrary to information in Heins' 1964 bibliography, the first printing did NOT have the acorn on the spine.  Further bibliographic research has confirmed that the acorn emblem corresponds to the second printing of approximately 2,500 copies.  Rather, "the most important indication of the true first edition is the appearance of "W. F. Hall" in Old English script on the copyright page" [Zeuschner, 187].  The 3 States of the McClurg first edition are summarized below:

The most commonly misidentified printings are those issued by A.L. Burt and Grosset & Dunlap.  Don't be fooled by the copyright notice -- if either of those names appears anywhere in or on the book, it is certainly not a 1st edition.

The A.L. Burt reprints were issued beginning in 1915 up to 1928.  The easiest way to distinguish these editions is by the A.L. Burt imprint found (1) at the base of the jacket spine; (2) at the base of the book spine;  & (3) at the base of the title page.  The A.L. Burt editions included a frontispiece and 401 pages of text.  These reprints were issued in various shades of green cloth [dark green, olive green, light green, etc.].  The earliest A.L. Burt reprints will have the embossed border and white lettering [in contrast to gold lettering of McClurg editions], followed later in early 1920s by embossed border with black lettering, and the latest A.L. Burt reprints will have black lettering without the embossed border.  To get a more exact date of printing, it is always best to check the advertisements at the rear of the text [which were changed annually] and cross-reference the copyright dates of the books listed there.

The Grosset & Dunlap reprints were issued beginning in 1927.  Again, the easiest way to distinguish these editions is by looking for the Grosset & Dunlap imprint in the same locations as noted above for the A.L. Burt editions.  Grosset & Dunlap reset the printing plates so that the book text was changed to 393 pages.

For more extensive information, collectors may wish to refer to the following bibliography:

Zeuschner, Robert: Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Exhaustive Scholar's and Collector's Descriptive Bibliography (Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 1996)

The first US edition (in book form) was published by Bobbs-Merrill.  The Bobbs Merrill first edition was issued in terra cotta cloth with white lettering on front & spine.  The Canadian first edition is quite similar to the US first edition.  The difference will be the imprint at the base of the title page.  The first US edition will have the imprint "The Bobbs Merrill Company // New York -- Publishers -- Indianapolis", while the first Canadian edition will have the imprint "Toronto // MacLeod & Allen, Publishers".

The front cover features an embossed phantom with the title and author surrounded by double box white frame.  The first edition includes a color frontispiece [with tissue guard] plus four full color double page interior illustrations by Andre Castaigne.  The dustjacket features a full color illustration on the front panel matching that of the frontispiece of the book ["They Sat Like That For A Moment Of Silence"].  The price of $1.25 Net is printed near the center of the jacket spine with a summary of the story printed on the rear panel of the jacket. The text is 357 pages.

The most commonly misidentified printings are those issued by Grosset & Dunlap.  Don't be fooled by the copyright notice -- if that name [Grosset & Dunlap] appears anywhere in or on the book, it is certainly not a 1st edition.

The first Grosset & Dunlap issue features a front cover with a gold silhouette of the phantom [comparable design to the embossed Bobbs Merrill version].  The dustjacket illustration matches that of the front cover of the book.

Be aware that Grosset & Dunlap issued the PhotoPlay edition in 1925 to coincide with the 1925 Universal film starring Lon Chaney.  The Photoplay edition includes four movie stills plus two double-page art illustrations found in the earlier Bobbs Merrill edition.  The Photoplay edition was also reissued into the 1930s with no changes other than the publisher advertisements at the rear of the book.

The first edition (in book form) was published by Bobbs-Merrill in 1908.  The Bobbs Merrill first edition was issued in olive green cloth with orange lettering on front & spine and illustration of black spiral staircase on the cover.  The dustjacket illustration features a full color image of a lady in nightgown with candlestick in hand fearfully descending a spiral staircase.   The first edition includes a color frontispiece [with tissue guard] plus five black & white interior illustrations by Lester Ralph.  The text is 362 pages.

Although The Circular Staircase is widely recognized as Rinehart's first mystery novel, since Bobbs Merrill published The Circular Staircase in 1908 and The Man in Lower Ten in 1909, what is often overlooked is that The Man in Lower Ten was actually serialized in four parts in All-Story Magazine for the January through April 1906 issues prior to The Circular Staircase -- which was serialized in four parts in All-Story Magazine for the November 1907 to March 1908 issues.

The most commonly misidentified printings are those issued by Grosset & Dunlap.  Don't be fooled by the copyright notice -- if that name [Grosset & Dunlap] appears anywhere in or on the book, it is certainly not a 1st edition.  The early Grosset & Dunlap edition will match the design of the first edition and is most easily distinguished by the Grosset & Dunlap imprint at the base of the book spine, jacket spine & title page.

The G&D jacket was first issued with a green cloth binding having an appliqué cover matching the jacket illustration. The earliest G&D printings featured a portrait of Mary Roberts Rinehart on the rear panel of the dustjacket.   This portrait was later dropped and the rear panel included only a listing of titles.  G&D later issued "The Circular Staircase" in a red binding with the same appliqué, and still later in a red binding with title lettering only. 

 The dustjacket illustration matches that of the front cover of the book.

In the 1920s, Grosset & Dunlap reissued this book with a new full color dustjacket design showing a lady in night gown descending the staircase.  The front cover had an appliqué with this same image.  This G&D edition was also reissued with different rear dustjacket panel designs.  One lists several Rinehart titles and a later one includes a photo of Mary Roberts Rinehart.

In the 1940s, Grosset & Dunlap issued a Madison Square edition using the dustjacket artwork of the 1st edition.  This is known as the wartime issue since it typically has the lower grade wartime paper which often darkens to a tan or brown color as it oxidizes due to the high acidity.  The Madison Square imprint is found at the top left corner of the rear panel of the dustjacket.

The first edition was issued by Charles L. Webster & Co., New York, NY, rather than the American Book Publishing Co. as is often assumed. 
Original binding is gilt-stamped and black-stamped green pictorial cloth.

Many Sabatini collectors tend to believe that the Houghton-Mifflin edition of the 1920s are the first US editions.  In many cases this is true, however there are several exceptions and "The Sea Hawk" is certainly one of them.  At first glimpse, the Houghton Mifflin edition might appear to be a first as the copyright page gives little clue.  However, the 1st US edition was published by J. P. Lippincott in 1915 and will clearly have the Lippincott imprint on the book spine, jacket spine and title page.

Lippincott was the first US publisher of several Sabatini titles including, as noted above, "The Sea Hawk" [1915], along with "Banner of the Bull" [1915], "The Snare" [1917], "Historical Nights Entertainment 1" [1917] & "Historical Nights Entertainment 2" [1919].

Collectors should also keep in mind that many of the British first editions precede the US first editions by several years.  This is particularly true of Sabatini's earlier books.  Some examples to note include [among others]:

Mystery collectors are often quick to point out the "A" imprint on the copyright page to indicate a 1st edition, 1st printing on Scribners' editions.  However, Scribners did not begin using this designation until 1929 -- so the "A" designation is not helpful in determining the 1st printings of the first four titles in S.S. Van Dine's Philo Vance detective series -- that is, The Benson Murder Case [1926], The Canary Murder Case [1927], The Greene Murder Case [1928] and The Bishop Murder Case [1928].  All of these four books have "The Scribners Press" emblem at the bottom of the copyright page.  This is not significant in determining 1st printings as it appeared in subsequent Scribner's printings.  Reprint editions were issued by A.L. Burt and also Grosset & Dunlap.  Grosset & Dunlap issued photoplay editions for the first four titles to coincide with the Paramount & MGM films.

Here are a few important points to check for when reviewing editions of these four titles:

Benson Murder Case [1926]:  Front listing should show two titles with 2nd "Canary Murder Case" noted as in preparation.  The 1st printing will have 1926 [in Roman numerals] at base of title page and 1926 on copyright page.  Subsequent printings will have later dates in Roman numerals [i.e., 1927 & 1928 printings]. No advertisements after end of text.  There are four (4) maps/floor plans/diagrams in the text (pp. 25, 125, 303 & 309)

Canary Murder Case [1927]:  Front listing should show three titles with 3rd "Taxicab Murder Case" noted as in preparation in the 1st Printing, 1st State [A], and "Greene Murder Case" in the 1st printing, 2nd State [B].  The 1st printing will have 1927 [in Roman numerals] at base of title page and 1927 on copyright page.  Subsequent printings will have later dates. One advertisement for Benson Murder Case after end of text.  There are five (5) maps/floor plans/diagrams in the text (pp. 23, 27, 275, 278 & 298)

Greene Murder Case [1928]:  Front listing should show four titles with 4th "Mother Goose Murder Case" noted as in preparation.  Note that this title was renamed "Bishop Murder Case" prior to release.  Two advertisements for Canary MC & Benson MC after end of text.  There are six (6) maps/floor plans/diagrams in the text (pp. 34, 36, 74, 110, 197 & 380)   There is also a glossy frontispiece "The Greene Mansion, New York, as it appeared at the time of the notorious Green Murder Case"  [from an old woodcut by Lowell L. Balcom].

Bishop Murder Case [1929]:  Front listing should list five titles with 5th title "Scarab Murder Case" noted as in preparation.  The 1st printing will have 1929 [in Roman numerals] at base of title page and 1929 on copyright page.  The 2nd printing will indicate "Published Feb 1929" and "Reprinted Mar 1929" on copyright page.  Both 1st and 2nd printings will have three advertisements for each of the three previous titles, Greene MC, Canary MC & Benson MC [yes, in reverse order].  There are two (2) fold-out maps (pp. 28/29 & pp 242/43)

Long-time mystery collectors may have noted that there are several phantom titles in the Philo Vance series.  Here is a table summarizing these phantom titles and in which book they are referenced as being "in preparation":

The first edition of this classic Talbot Mundy adventure was published by Bobbs Merrill in 1916. The first edition was issued in brown cloth binding with gilt rectangular box at center of front cover. The first printing of the first edition has author's name misspelled as "Talbott" on the title page.  The dustjacket features a wonderful line art image of a rider atop a ceremonially attired Indian elephant alongside a temple [pictured below].    The text is 395 pages.

The AL Burt reprint was issued in red cloth with blue lettering using the same cover design.  However, the dustjacket artwork was a full color rendition of Joseph Clement Cole's line art illustration found between pages 268-69 of the first edition.

The first American edition was published in NY in 1902 by McClure, Phillips & Co.  The first British edition was published in London in 1902 by George Newnes Co.  -- the issue of the British first edition preceded that of the American first edition.  Prior to the hardcover book being issued, this mystery novel was serialized in "The Strand" magazine in 1901. 

The first British edition was issued in red cloth with gilt lettering.  The front board features a boxed image of "the hound" in black silhouetted against a moonlit sky.  This first edition is illustrated with a frontispiece and 15 interior illustrations by Sidney Paget.  There were 25,000 copies of the British first edition issued.  The first issue has the misprint 'you' for 'your' on page 13, line 3. The book measures 7½" x 4¾".

The first American edition was issued red cloth with white lettering.  This first US edition is illustrated with a frontispiece and 7 interior illustrations by Sidney Paget.  The front board features a cameo of Holmes at center.  Above the cameo is printed "The Hound of // the Baskervilles // Another Adventure of // Sherlock Holmes" [// indicates line break].  Below the cameo "A Novel by // A Conan Doyle" 

The first printing of the U.S. edition totaled 70,000 copies and occurs in four variant states, all prepared before publication.

The four states of the US first edition can be easily distinguished by the following notations:

A widespread source of confusion is the 1902 date which is found on most of the later reprints.  This merely corresponds to the year the book was first published, and is not an indicator of the year of that particular issue.  Any other editions carrying a 1902 imprint were published later.  

The two most prevalent misidentifications occur with the popular Grosset & Dunlap (G&D) printings which were issued at a much later date.

A variant usually refers to differences in bindings or endpapers (paper located just inside the front and rear covers, one half of which is glued to the cover). One variant may have a title stamped on the front cover in black and another may be stamped in red.  [R. Lucas, Essentials of Book Collecting, Part 2]