Page last modified: December 1, 2018

Journey to the Centre of the Earth
A collection of descriptions
of the English (US & UK)
First Editions

Ed Note: I have found that catalogues for Book Shops and Auctions Catalogues can be very useful references for book collecting. While the Jules Verne Encyclopedia is the be-all and end-all of bibliographies for Verne's English publications, it was published in 1996, and so much new information on first editions has come to light.

On this page, you will find excellent, well researched entries for the various 1st Editions of Journey to the Centre of the Earth.
I share and preserve them here so that when the books are sold, there will still be a record of the excellent research that the booksellers put in to describe the books. (Andrew Nash, December 1, 2018)

First UK Edition

Image courtesy of
Andrew Cox Rare Books

This description comes from Andrew Cox Rare Books, an excellent UK Bookseller, who has a speciality in Jules Verne books because he also collects them.

The below book can be purchased here. (Dec 1, 2018)
from Andrew Cox Rare Books (ABE Booksellers site) (Ed Note: I have no financial interest in the sale of this book)

A Journey to the Centre of the Earth

1872 British First Edition with 52 illustrations by Riou, original pictorial cloth titled and decorated in gilt, the True English First Edition dated MDCCCLXXII, interestingly the only time a British Jules Verne book was dated in Roman Numerals, the book was published for the Christmas market in November 1871 and post-dated 1872, the British publication in the original binding is by far one of the toughest Verne titles to find in First Edition form, one of the reasons may have been the high cost of the book which was reportedly priced at £7.00 on its release, a sum that would have been well beyond the pockets of most people of the time. Another interesting point, the First Edition uses the plate "The Descent of the Crater" as the frontispiece, whereas later Griffith & Farran editions use "The Central Sea" as the frontispiece, the reason I point this out is that when you check the pagination of the Griffith & Farran editions you will see that the text pages are numbered but not the plates, with the plates being counted in with the pagination, because "The Descent of the Crater" is normally counted as pages 121/122 you will see a break in the pagination in this copy where that plate has been used as the frontispiece, also when you check for "The Central Sea" plate in this copy you will find it located between pages 216/217 with no break in the pagination for the plate, this is the second copy of the First Edition where I have seen "The Descent of the Crater" used as the Frontispiece. Regarding the condition of this copy, apart from some minor marks to the rear board, mild rubbing to the gilt on the spine and some virtually invisible restoration to the spine tips, the covers are in generally very good condition, internally there is the name of the original owner with the date 1873 in old ink to top of the title page, this copy is virtually free of any foxing and marking apart from pages 292/293 which are noticeably browned at the edges (pictured) possibly something had been left between these two pages at one point as a page marker which has reacted with the paper, the browning is visible to the reverse of these page edges as well with a small edge tear with no loss that just stops before the text, there is a thin line of browning just touching the outer edge of one other page though this is not very noticeable, creases to two page corners, finally the rear inner hinge has been professionally strengthened retaining the original endpapers but with a thin 5mm strip visible along inner hinge of a slightly lighter coloured paper, this is a very neat and unobtrusive professional repair. Some creasing to frontispiece tissue guard, I have mentioned everything that could be considered a fault, which probably makes this copy sound far worse than it is, overall this is one of the cleanest examples of the British First Edition I have come across which presents very nicely on the shelf, a notoriously difficult book to find in First Edition form, a true Verne rarity and one of the authors most sought after titles. Size: 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall. Bookseller Inventory # 001447

The above book can be purchased here. (Dec 1, 2018)
from Andrew Cox Rare Books (ABE Booksellers site) (Ed Note: I have no financial interest in the sale of this book)

US First Edition
Variant "A"
Printed in US, sold in US

Frontice

Image courtesy of Sumner and Stillman

This description comes from Sumner and Stillman, an excellent american Bookseller, who has a speciality in Jules Verne books.

The below book can be purchased here. (Dec 1, 2018)
from Sumner and Stillman (Ed Note: I have no financial interest in the sale of this book)

A Journey to the Centre of the Earth

Verne, Jules

With Fifty-Two Illustrations by Riou. New York: Scribner Armstrong and Co., 1874. Original orange cloth pictorially decorated in black and gilt.

First American Edition (to be printed in America) of Jules Verne's second book, preceded only by FIVE WEEKS IN A BALLOON. The original French edition came out in 1864, and the British edition edition came out in November 1871 (dated 1872) -- a few of these copies were sent to America with a Scribner Welford title leaf (see below, Variant "B").
This American edition then came out in November 1873, though dated 1874; this copy bears a January 1, 1874 gift inscription from grandfather to grandson. Almost a year later Scribner Armstrong also published this title in a special edition (undated), sold by subscription, on heavy paper stock in a beautiful gilt binding with beveled edges -- which today we do see more frequently than this first American edition. ...
This first American edition was issued in blue, green or orange cloth, without precedence. This copy, in orange, is in bright, near-fine condition: the endpapers do have hairline cracks at the hinge but the volume is remarkably free of soil or other wear, and the plates and text are free of foxing. This is a very attractive copy of a book that has become notoriously difficult to acquire in such advantageous condition. Taves & Michaluk V002. Item #12331

Price: $9,500.00

The above book can be purchased here. (Dec 1, 2018) from Sumner and Stillman (Ed Note: I have no financial interest in the sale of this book)

US First Edition
Variant "B"
Printed in UK, sold in US

Image courtesy of Sumner and Stillman

This description comes from Sumner and Stillman, an excellent american Bookseller, who has a speciality in Jules Verne books.

The below book can be purchased here. (Dec 1, 2018) from Sumner and Stillman (Ed Note: I have no financial interest in the sale of this book)

A JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH.

Verne, Jules

[The TRUE first American] With Fifty-two Illustrations by Riou. New York: Scribner, Welford and Company | London: Griffith & Farran, 1872. 8 pp undated ads [G&F, in sterling]. Original orange cloth decorated in black and gilt.

First British Edition (and first edition in the English language) -- this being a copy of THE HITHERTO-UNKNOWN AMERICAN ISSUE.
Griffith & Farran of London first published this science fiction tale in English in November 1871 (but post-dated it 1872); the first edition printed in America, using this same translation, has long been known to be the one by Scribner Armstrong & Co., published in late 1873 (and so dated). Griffith & Farran's first edition was priced at an astronomical seven pounds per copy -- which may be why today it is, in our experience, THE scarcest British edition of any Jules Verne book.~ The present copy is from that first edition by Griffith & Farran -- with the G&F decorative binding (erroneously claiming 53 illustrations, disagreeing with the title page's correct 52) and the G&F ads. However, what sets this copy apart is that it has a cancel title leaf, on which the publisher is "New York: Scribner, Welford and Company | London: Griffith & Farran", followed by the date 1872.~Charles Welford first went to London in 1864 to begin buying English books for Charles Scribner (as his London agent); he would arrange with a London publisher to have a small number of copies of a British novel exported to America, which copies would bear a cancel title leaf reading (in 1871) "Scribner, Welford and Company". (It would be in 1872 that "Scribner Armstrong & Co." was formed -- and "Scribner Welford & Armstrong" for books imported from London; in mid-1878 Armstrong retired, and the firms' names changed to "Charles Scribner's Sons" and "Scribner & Welford" -- the latter of which continued to import books (such as G. A. Henty's) until the International Copyright Act was passed in 1891, making such importation no longer necessary.)~One other Verne book was imported into America bearing Welford's name -- MERIDIANA, in 1873; it is estimated that as few as 50 copies of that title were imported, as it is an extremely scarce book. Inasmuch as NO other copy of the "Welford" JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH has surfaced until now, 50 copies would clearly be on the high side of any estimate, with 10 or 12 being quite possible.~This copy is bound in orange cloth (green was also used for the G&F edition, but we don't know if any "Welford" copies were bound in that color). The volume appears quite clean and bright, though it has been recased in its original binding, with newer orange cloth added in behind (in effect providing new strong joints); the original endpapers are present, and all 52 plates are present. Taves & Michaluk V002 (not citing the existence of American copies such as this). Item #12525

Price: $26,500.00

The above book can be purchased here. (Dec 1, 2018) from Sumner and Stillman (Ed Note: I have no financial interest in the sale of this book)

US By Subscription
Deluxe Edition
ND - 1874

Image courtesy of Sumner and Stilman

This description comes from Sumner and Stillman, an excellent american Bookseller, who has a speciality in Jules Verne books.

The below book can be purchased here. (Dec 1, 2018) from Sumner and Stillman (Ed Note: I have no financial interest in the sale of this book)

A JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH.

Verne, Jules

With Fifty-Two Illustrations by Riou. Sold Only By Subscription. New York: Scribner, Armstrong and Co., n.d. [1874]. 6 pp undated ads. Original terra-cotta cloth pictorially decorated in black and gilt, beveled.

"Deluxe Edition" of Jules Verne's second book. The original French edition came out in 1864, and the British edition came out in November 1871 (dated 1872). Scribner Armstrong's first American edition came out in November 1873, though dated 1874; almost a year later (undated, but in late 1874), Scribner Armstrong also published this deluxe edition, sold by subscription only, on heavier paper stock in a beautiful gilt binding with beveled edges. In the Summer 1996 "Verne" issue of Firsts Magazine, six entire pages with twelve illustrations are devoted solely to this edition of this title...~The firsts [editions] were often produced hurriedly in large quantities to satisfy the demand from the reading public. These volumes were quickly followed by lavishly produced illustrated versions. For collectors, these attractive later editions can be more desirable and difficult to find than the true firsts. The 1874 Scribner deluxe edition... features a glorious decorated cover. The front cover's centerpiece is an embossed and foil-stamped figure of the three underground explorers on their raft. The spine illustration shows the explorers in an underground crystal cave... [Robin Smiley, in Firsts]~This copy is terra-cotta cloth (we have also seen green and brown -- no priority), and is in the first binding state, stamped at the bottom of the spine with "Scribner, Armstrong & Co." (and not just "Scribners"). This is a near-fine copy, quite bright and with only the slightest of wear at some edges; three leaves of text (pages 267-272) have an irregular vertical crease that includes a short edge-tear at the top. Taves & Michaluk V002. Item #14088

Price: $2,950.00

The above book can be purchased here. (Dec 1, 2018) from Sumner and Stillman (Ed Note: I have no financial interest in the sale of this book)

Return to book description Journey to the Centre of the Earth

Return to Verne Titles Page
Return
to Jules Verne Collecting Web Page Collecting
©Images copyright Andrew Nash 2011 to 2021
WebPage Design by Puppy Cup Productions