Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Tom Sawyer's Comrade)

A first edition, first printing hardcover of the “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Tom Sawyer's Comrade)” (2014.249a), by Mark Twain with a chemise (2014.249b) and slipcover (2014.249c). The front cover of the book is a dark green with the title embossed in various fonts that read, [Adventures / of / HUCKLEBERRY / FINN / (Tom Sawyer's Comrade) / BY / MARK TWAIN. / ILLUSTRATED.]. The "H" and the "F" of Huckleberry Finn are painted with gold leaf in a lettering that resembles wooden slats. The author’s name is also in gold leaf. In the bottom left corner of the front cover is an embossed illustration of a young boy wearing a straw hat, jacket and pants, with his hands in his pocket. Behind the boy is a fence in the background which has been filled in with gold leaf. The top third of the book spine is the title of the book embossed over a gold leaf square with a compass illustration to the left of the word [Finn. In the center of the spine is a floral design embossed directly above the author’s name, embossed in gold leaf [BY MARK TWAIN]. The bottom third of the spine is the publisher’s information, embossed in gold leaf, [CHARLES·L·WEBSTER / & CO.]. The back cover is blank. There is a handwritten note in pencil in top right corner of front flyleaf that reads [1st issue]. The book is inscribed in black ink in the center of second front flyleaf, [John W. Ruckman]. The frontispiece features a black-and-white illustration of Huckleberry Finn holding a shotgun in his proper left hand and a rabbit in his proper right hand. The illustration is signed on the bottom, left corner, reading [E·W·KEEMBLE / ·1884·]. The second frontispiece is a black-and-white photograph of a bust of Mark Twain in profile. The text below the image reads [Mark Twain / FROM THE BUST BY KARL GERHARDT. / Heliotype Printing Co. Boston and New York]. The book has forty-three (43) chapters, one hundred and seventy-four (174) black-and-white illustrations, and three hundred and sixty-six (366) pages. The interior pages are off-white.

A tri-fold, cardboard, dark green chemise (2014.249b), lined with an off-white interior. The chemise has extenders for the sides of book between tri-folds. A black fabric pull-tab is attached at the center of the proper left side of chemise.

A hardback slipcase, with proper left opening for the chemise-wrapped book to slide into. The exterior is covered with same green as the chemise, and the interior is lined with off-white paper. On the top third of the slipcase spine is handwritten text in black ink that reads [HUCKLEBERRY / FINN / MARK TWAIN].

Credit: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture