Mansfield Park. A Novel. AUSTEN (Jane).

8vo. [190 x 124 x 35 mm]. 431pp. Bound in publisher's original black cloth, the covers blocked in blind, the spine blocked in gilt, yellow endleaves, plain edges (neatly rebacked preserving original spine, with loss at head and foot, a few leaves slightly protruding).
New York: [W. H. Tinson, Stereotype; George Russell & Co. Printers] Derby & Jackson, 119 Nassau Street, 1857.

Gilson E24. The only copy seen by Gilson was in the Sterling Library at Yale, and he surmises that it might be a reprint as it shows signs of type wear. It also has "Complete in one volume" on the title, a variant imprint with the addition of "Cincinnati: H. W. Derby & Co.", an undated inserted engraved title-page and 5pp of advertisements at the end. Our's would appear to be earlier issue, unknown to Gilson. He notes that it was reprinted in 1859, 1860 and 1861, and again by Ticknor & Fields in Boston in 1863.

Derby & Jackson issued Austen's works in four volumes in 1857, either as a set in their series "Standard Female Novelists" (wrongly describing this as "First American Edition"), bound in cloth at 4 dollars, or in half calf at 8 dollars, or as individual volumes in the series New Library of Classic Authors, with red or black cloth, spines gilt, at 1 dollar, or sides and edges also gilt, at 2 dollars. Gilson never saw a copy of any of the original cloth bindings, but our's would appear to be one of the 1 dollar examples.

Occasional spotting and light soiling, but a very good copy. Inscribed in ink at the head of the title "Ellen Davis, Bombay 1858".

Stock no. ebc7139