THE GILDED AGE by Twain, Mark - 1874

American Publishing. Very Good+ with no dust jacket; These "subscription" books were issued in . various styles of cloth and leather bindings. Collectors should be aware . that the early cloth bindings, unlike the bindings on Twain's later books, . are very hard to find in truly nice condition. The cloth and papers used . were relatively cheap quality and become brittle with age. This book has . original publisher boards; NOT REBOUND as is often the case for this work! . -- dark brown or black original cloth over boards. Decoratively stamped in . gilt, spine lettered in gilt, publishers logo blind-stamped on back cover, . also blindstamped details to boards. Plain endpapers. Appendix present . plus RARE (for some reason most copies have advertisements excised out) . 4pp pub. Adv. At rear. Top edge light brown. With more than 200 . illustrations and PLATES by eminent artists of the day! Fold-out . illustration @ page 246 -- almost 2 feet long -- present and in EXCELLENT . condition! Original publisher boards; NOT REBOUND as is often the case for . this work! -- dark brown or black original cloth over boards. Decoratively . stamped in gilt, spine lettered in gilt, publishers logo blind-stamped on . back cover, also blindstamped details to boards. Plain endpapers. THICK -- . 574pp; plus APPENDIX; plus RARE (for some reason most copies have . advertisements excised out) 4pp pub. Adv. At rear. Top edge light brown. . AND... With more than 200 illustrations and PLATES by eminent artists of . the day! Fold-out illustration @ page 246 -- almost 2 feet long -- present . and in EXCELLENT condition! Rubbing to board corners/lower half of outside . edge of boards; spine ends light rubbed, and some to spine edges. Small . previous owner stamp to second blank; an occasional fox mark.. 1874. First US Edition; First Printing. Hardcover. With date of 1873 on Copyright Page and 1874 on Title Page [AS CALLED FOR]. THE GILDED AGE appeared at the end of 1873. Some copies carry an 1873 date, but most are dated 1874... Including most of the 60 ADVANCE REVIEW COPIES sent out in wrappers AND the copy that co-author Warner presented his mother on the day of publication. Copies with the earliest states of the text are found with both 1873 and 1874 title-pages. ; B&W Illustrations; 8vo; 574 pages; Twain's first novel. Even Long Fold-out Illustration is NEAR MINT! .