ROMANCE. A Novel.
Illustrated by Charles R. Macauley. New York: McClure, Phillips & Co., 1904. 8 pp undated ads. Original blue cloth decorated in grey.
First American (and first illustrated) Edition, first impression, second state (i.e. with copyright date 1903) -- of this the second collaboration between Conrad and Hueffer (after THE INHERITORS).
As Cagle and (much more recently) Supino have explained, this is a curious example of a later copyright date having precedence over an earlier copyright date. The original plan was for this American edition to come out in late 1903, and (incomplete but) so-dated copies were filed at the Library of Congress on October 26th. Due to several factors, publication was not ready -- so the decision was made to delay publication until the spring of 1904, and the printer was notified to change the date. Which he did -- but he changed the copyright to 1904 as well, and the first copies went out with that erroneous date on the title verso (the first state). "This error was corrected and the 1903 copyright restored before the second printing" [Cagle] -- making the corrected 1903-copyright copies the second state of the first impression. (Second and third impressions were issued in 1904, so identified on the title verso.)
This is a fine, bright copy. Supino A9.7.0 (this copy); Cagle A9b. Provenance: signature of Henry Stephens dated Dec. 31, 1904 and small ink-stamp of John Stephens, plus the discreet bookplate of the Conrad bibliographer David J. Supino. Item #15304
Price: $175.00