1869 Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad or The New Pilgrims' Progress. First edition. American Publishing Company. Illustrated (richly).

1st edition of Mark Twain's classic and hilarious work The Innocents Abroad. This humorously chronicles what Twain called his "Great Pleasure Excursion" on board the chartered vessel Quaker City (formerly USS Quaker City) through Europe and the Holy Land with a group of American travelers in 1867. It was the best-selling of Twain's works during his lifetime, as well as one of the best-selling travel books of all time.

Illustrated two hundred and thirty-four illustrations, and 16 inserted plates (two frontis, fourteen throughout the work).

This is the third state of the first edition. As the printing went along, they'd repair mistakes. Or, in this case, add an advertiser. This has an advertisement for a bible on the third page of ads at the rear, which has brought collectors to call this state the "third state".

My title page picture looks different because the first time I shot it it was blurry and several of you Twain collectors have asked me to send pictures so I updated it, but the lighting was not the same.

Physical Attributes -

Measures approx. 22 x 15 x 5 cm. Hardcover with calf spine and corners. Boards are covered in a decorated paper. Spine has the title and author in gilt. All edges marbled. Marbled endpapers.

Pages: flyleaf, (2), 2 frontis plates, xviii, 19-651 numbered pages, five pages of advertisement at the rear, (2), flyleaf. Fourteen unnumbered plates inserted throughout the text.

Condition -

See pictures. Front joint/hinge cracked. All edges rubbed and the boards are too. Spine with a small chip at top. Former owner name and bookseller notes on 1st blank unpaginated endpaper. Thumbing, toning, some fox spots, occasional dog-eared page, toning throughout. Mark at fore-edge of title page (not text affected). Corner crease to title page. All fore-edges marked near beginning in the common thumbing spot (might be thumbing, but it was a dirty thumb; see title page picture). Occasional page edge chip. Ghost of a string (place-holder) page 54. Chip on edge of 107.