Publisher's Synopsis
Chicago: Donnelley, Loyd and Company A decent copy of a hardbound edition published during the first year of American hardbound editions of this book, 1877, although no date is shown in this copy. Beginning in 1876, Donnelley, Loyd "began the wave of cheap [Verne] books" (quoting from Taves and Michaluk, "Jules Verne Encyclopedia" of 1996) with papercover books in their "Lakeside Library." This hardbound copy probably uses the same printing plates including the engraved illustrations from the local Chicago Engraving Company, and the cover is stamped "Lakeside Edition." The translation into English is by W.H.G. Kingston--not acknowledged--which first appeared in England in December 1876. Scribner, Armstrong and Company also published a hardbound version with this translation in 1877 and it seems reasonable to conclude that this particular copy from Donnelley, Loyd is at least a copy of the same English language edition from 1877. It is probably a cheaper, mass marketed version than the Scribner (although I have not been able to compare the two different printings). This copy has definitely had a long history of readers, with a stamp on the first free endpaper "Barkalow Bros, U.P.R.R. Gen'l News Agent," which indicates at some time this book was sold by the news agent for the Union Pacific RR. A previous owner's inked name is on the same ffep dated 1931. A few of the upper corners of the pages are creased, but the pages are otherwise clean. The scan shows the general condition of the hardbound cover with considerable wear at the spine and corners. All in all, a firm copy of an early American edition of this Verne novel. 445 pages. . 1st Edition thus. Hard Cover. Illus. by Engravings by Chicago Eng. Co..
