[98] pp. Irregularly paginated, a selection of pages from the book, as issued; 9 leaves of lined paper at rear, for subscribers' names. Wood-engraved illustrations, including double frontispiece and other full-page plates; steel-engraved portrait. (8vo) 22x14 cm (8¾x5½"), original cloth pictorially stamped in gilt. samples of spines mounted on the pastedowns, cloth on the front, and sheep on the rear
Rare salesman's dummy for Twain's A Tramp Abroad, with the 1879 date on the title page a year earlier than that on the published first edition. These salesman's dummies, or prospectuses, were used as a marketing device to encourage customers to "subscribe" to the book, or pre-order it. The names of the subscribers were written on the lined leaves at rear - in the present copy, three of the pages contain names, some 29 in all, most from Oregon locales including Portland, Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tualatin, and Columbia City. Such details as Gilt Edge, Library cloth, Leather, etc. are added. The portrait frontispiece in the present example is in BAL's state A, with the underlying lines vertical, the engraver's imprint present at lower left; the wood-engraved frontispiece is in BAL's State A, captioned "Moses". (BAL 3386).
Condition:
Some rubbing and fading to covers, wear to spine ends and corners; some minor foxing and soiling within, offset to endpapers from the spine samples; very good.