Prince Otto query...

I have a Roberts Brothers "Prince Otto" The title page says 1886.
The copyright page is completely blank. This would, at first blush,
make me think that it is the first Robert Brothers edition. But I
also have a 1889 Roberts Brothers "Prince Otto" that also has a blank
copyright page. Which makes me wonder: does there exist somewhere an
1885 Roberts Brothers Prince Otto? The first English edition came out
in 1885. I would like to brag to my buddies that I have the First
American edition. Can I do that...or should I brag about something
else?

TIA and Kind Regards,

Jonathan

Jonathan wrote:
I have a Roberts Brothers "Prince Otto" The title page says 1886.
The copyright page is completely blank. This would, at first blush,
make me think that it is the first Robert Brothers edition. But I
also have a 1889 Roberts Brothers "Prince Otto" that also has a blank
copyright page. Which makes me wonder: does there exist somewhere an
1885 Roberts Brothers Prince Otto? The first English edition came out
in 1885. I would like to brag to my buddies that I have the First
American edition. Can I do that...or should I brag about something
else?

TIA and Kind Regards,

Jonathan

Dear Jonathan,

The 1886 edition is the First American Edition. In the 19th century, if
the American firm was pirating a British imprint, they could not
copyright it and left that space blank. I know that the end of pirating
between our two countries did not occur until the 1890s, Someone else
of the group may know the exact date. But almost all British books were
pirated before that, and they did not, as a rule, carry a copyright
slug.

Best,
Annibale

Annibale wrote:

Jonathan wrote:


I have a Roberts Brothers "Prince Otto" The title page says 1886.
The copyright page is completely blank. This would, at first blush,
make me think that it is the first Robert Brothers edition. But I
also have a 1889 Roberts Brothers "Prince Otto" that also has a blank
copyright page. Which makes me wonder: does there exist somewhere an
1885 Roberts Brothers Prince Otto? The first English edition came out
in 1885. I would like to brag to my buddies that I have the First
American edition. Can I do that...or should I brag about something
else?

TIA and Kind Regards,

Jonathan



Dear Jonathan,

The 1886 edition is the First American Edition. In the 19th century, if
the American firm was pirating a British imprint, they could not
copyright it and left that space blank. I know that the end of pirating
between our two countries did not occur until the 1890s, Someone else
of the group may know the exact date. But almost all British books were
pirated before that, and they did not, as a rule, carry a copyright
slug.

Best,
Annibale




I just checked the Library of Congress Catalogue and found an 1886 New
York pubication by G. Munro.


Francis A. Miniter

Francis A. Miniter wrote:
Annibale wrote:

Jonathan wrote:


I have a Roberts Brothers "Prince Otto" The title page says 1886.
The copyright page is completely blank. This would, at first blush,
make me think that it is the first Robert Brothers edition. But I
also have a 1889 Roberts Brothers "Prince Otto" that also has a blank
copyright page. Which makes me wonder: does there exist somewhere an
1885 Roberts Brothers Prince Otto? The first English edition came out
in 1885. I would like to brag to my buddies that I have the First
American edition. Can I do that...or should I brag about something
else?

TIA and Kind Regards,

Jonathan



Dear Jonathan,

The 1886 edition is the First American Edition. In the 19th century, if
the American firm was pirating a British imprint, they could not
copyright it and left that space blank. I know that the end of pirating
between our two countries did not occur until the 1890s, Someone else
of the group may know the exact date. But almost all British books were
pirated before that, and they did not, as a rule, carry a copyright
slug.

Best,
Annibale




I just checked the Library of Congress Catalogue and found an 1886 New
York pubication by G. Munro.


Francis A. Miniter

However, my source gave the precedence unequivocally to the Boston
edition, calling it the First. I don't remember which library it was,
but my usual sources are Harvard[Hollis], The other libraries on the
Hollis list, and then, IU in that order. My assumption is that the
bibliographers have already worked such an old book out.

There are many books, though where the precedence of the American First
has not been established. One of these is Polidori's the Vampire [based
on Byron]. There are a whole series of American copies printed in 1819
with all of the same bibliographical points including the attribution
to Byron, as he 478. [Polidori, John William] The Vampyre; A Tale
By Lord Byron
Best,
Annibale