3
- *The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. A Book for an Idle Holiday. London, Field & Tuer, The Leadenhall Press, [1886].
?4 A-L8 . Pp. [8] 1 2-172 [4].
Contents: [1] title-page; [2] [square ornament, 33 x 33mm, showing early printing press and Field & Tuer monogram] / FIELD & TUER, / THE LEADENHALL PRESS, E.C. / (T.4281); [3] Dedication; [4] row of floral ornaments; [5] Preface; [6] floral ornament; [7] Contents; [8] row of floral ornaments; 1 2-172 text: 1 2-10 ON BEING HARD UP; 11-18 ON BEING IN THE BLUES; 19-30 ON VANITY AND VANITIES; 31-40 ON GETTING ON IN THE WORLD; 41-50 ON BEING IDLE; 51-62 ON BEING IN LOVE; 63-76 ON THE WEATHER; 77-94 ON CATS AND DOGS; 95-106 ON BEING SHY; 107-17 ON BABIES; 118-29 ON EATING AND DRINKING; 130-43 ON “FURNISHED APARTMENTS”; 144-56 ON DRESS AND DEPORTMENT; 157-72 ON MEMORY; [1] advertisement for On the Stage – and Off, with sample of press opinions; [2-4] blank.
Textual errors in 1st edition: p. 41, line 2: ‘realy’; p. 98, line 5: ‘smypathy’. Printed on laid paper, chain lines horizontal, 188 x 127mm. Fore-edge and bottom edge uncut. *Lemon yellow cloth, black lettering on front and spine, with large blue ornament in centre of front; back: large blue ornament, as on front. Only the earliest impressions have the price, 2/6, on the front cover and spine.
Inserted between L.7 and L.8 are 8 pages of advertisements for Field & Tuer publications. Previously serialized in 14 installments in Home Chimes, vol. 1 no. 40- vol.3 no. 16, 4 October 1884-17 October 1885 and new series, vol.1, no. 1, February, 1886.
Listed in English Catalogue 1881-89, 2/6; reviewed in Pall Mall Gazette, 20 August 1886, 44. Copies seen: FR – price on spine in italic type, 5 later impressions; APR – 1 copy with price on spine in roman type, 5 in italic, 79 later impressions; Bodleian Library – Arch. H e.152 (Jerome’s copy, with dedication facing title-page ‘To the Queen of all my sweetest / thoughts – the guiding Star of all my / better thoughts, this little book of Idle / Thoughts I humbly offer in the hope that / it may win for me a sometime passing / idle thought of Her’s / Jerome K. Jerome / June 1886’; Bodleian Library – 270 e.649, accession date 7 August 1886; both have the 2/6 price on spine in roman type.
The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow was an instant success, and sold extremely well for many years. Jerome wrote in My Life and Times: “Tuer always had clever ideas. He gave it a light yellow cover that stood out well in bookstalls. He called each thousand copies an ‘edition’ and, before the end of the year, was advertising the twenty-third.” In fact, it was a little while before the ‘edition’ idea occurred to Tuer, the earliest numbered ‘edition’ that we have seen being the 19th. From 1890, the issues are dated, ‘editions’ from the 118th to the 138th having title-page dates of 1890. The practice continued up to the 180th ‘edition’ in 1901. ‘Editions’ from the 172nd to 180th are dated 1901, have narrower margins (page size 180 x 116mm.); they correspond to the 1/- cheap edition listed in the English Catalogue.
Textual changes occurred from time to time, which may be evidence of new impressions. In the first edition, the text on p. 41, lines 8-9 reads ‘[my poor grandmother … observing] that it was highly improbable that I should ever do much that I ought not to do, but … that I should leave undone pretty well everything that I ought to do.’ In a very early impression, while the price is still on the cover, the word ‘not’ is dropped, resulting in a meaningless statement, and a comma is added after ‘but’; at the same time, the code number on p. [2] was changed to ‘T.4283,’ remaining so until the 118th ‘edition,’ in 1890, when the number was dropped. By the 52nd ‘edition’ the error ‘realy’ on p. 41, line 2 has been corrected to read ‘really’. By the 62nd ‘edition’ the ‘not’ on line 8 of p. 41 has been restored; the comma after ‘but’ is not removed, however, until the 124th ‘edition.’ Until the 62nd ‘edition’ p. 98 line 5 reads ‘smypathy,’ after which it is corrected to ‘sympathy.’ From the 107th ‘edition’ an error is introduced on p. 170, line 26, ‘Emmy’ now being spelled ‘Emy.” From the 141st ‘edition’ in 1893, and for some years after, the code number ‘T.4563’ was added on p. [2]. - The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. A Book for an Idle Holiday. New York, George Munro’s Sons, Publishers. 17 to 27 Vandewater Street.
102p.
Printed on poor wove paper. Paper cover.
Copies seen: APR (1888, Seaside Library; 1900, Savoy Series); FR (1894). - The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. A Book for an Idle Holiday. New York, The National Publishing Company, 6 Mission Place, 1890.
102p. (The Red Letter Series of Select Fiction).
Text printed from the same plates as the Munro edition, above.
Copies seen: Ohio State University Library – title-page & first page of text. - The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. A Book for an Idle Holiday. New York, International Book Company, 17 and 19 Waverley Place.
102p.
18 2-168. Obsolete signatures on 2nd leaf of 2-7. Pp. [8] 7 8-102 [2] 589 591 593-740. The second pagination sequence, pp. 589-740, contains William Makepeace Thackeray’s Eastern Sketches. Notes of a Journey from Cornhill to Grand Cairo…
Printed on poor wove paper, size 183 x 123mm.
Jerome text printed from the same plates as the Munro edition, above.
Yellow cloth, with black pattern front and spine; title on front, yellow on black.
Copies seen: University of Illinois Library - *The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. A Book for an Idle Holiday. New York, Henry Holt, 1890.
Unsigned, 1-148. Pp. [10] 1-209 210-14.
Contents: [1] blank; [2] ‘[within rules] Jerome K. Jerome’s Books. [Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow, Three Men in a Boat – both with price in cloth noted – and Stage-land – no price shown]; [3] title-page; [4] blank; [5] dedication; [6] blank; [7] PREFACE.; [8] blank; [9] CONTENTS ; [10] blank; 1-12 THE IDLE THOUGHTS / OF / AN IDLE FELLOW. [short rule] / ON BEING IDLE; 13-26 ON BEING IN LOVE; 27-36 ON BEING IN THE BLUES; 37-48 ON BEING HARD UP; 49-62 ON VANITY AND VANITIES; 63-74 ON GETTING ON IN THE WORLD; 75-91 ON THE WEATHER; 92-112 ON CATS AND DOGS; 113-27 ON BEING SHY; 128-41 ON BABIES; 142-56 ON EATING AND DRINKING; 157-73 ON “FURNISHED APARTMENTS”; 174-89 ON DRESS AND DEPORTMENT; 190-209 ON MEMORY; 210-14 blank.
Printed on wove paper, size 185 x 127mm.
*Red-brown cloth, gilt lettered on front and spine. Spine: IDLE / THOUGHTS / OF AN / IDLE / FELLOW / [short rule] / JEROME / HENRY HOLT & CO
Listed in Publisher’s Weekly 948, 29 March 1890; American Catalog 1884-90, $1.00.
Copies seen: FR; APR; Library of Congress.
Also issued in paperback, price 35¢. - * The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. A Book for an Idle Holiday. Philadelphia, Henry Altemus, 1890.
18 2-138 1410 (-14.10). Stapled. Pp. 1-8 9-226 227-8.
Contents: 1 title-page; 2 Entered According to Act of Congress in the Year 1890. / BY HENRY ALTEMUS.; 3 dedication; 4 blank; 5 CONTENTS.; 6 blank; 7 PREFACE.;
8 blank; 9-226 text; 227-8 blank.
Printed on laid paper, chain lines horizontal; size 197 x 139mm.
Top edge gilt. Patterned endpapers.
*Blue-green cloth with gilt lettering on front, black on spine (but probably gilt when new). Spine: JER°ME / [short rule] / THE•IDLE / THOUGHTS / OF•AN•IDLE / FELLOW / [decorative garland] / ALTEMUS
Listed in Publisher’s Weekly 954, 10 May 1890, price $1.00; also in paperback 50¢. (Idle Hours Series, no.1).
Copies seen: FR.
Although presumably a pirated edition, the Altemus publication is unusual in that it was announced in Publisher’s Weekly and included a copyright claim. It was reprinted frequently in a smaller size, and in a variety of bindings. There are dated impressions every year from 1891 to 1895, and many undated impressions.
Copies seen: APR 1893, also copy dated 1890 but with 1899 copyright frontispiece. - ALTEMUS’ EDITION / [short rule] / THE / IDLE THOUGHTS / OF / AN IDLE FELLOW / A BOOK FOR / AN IDLE HOLIDAY / BY / JEROME K. JEROME / Author of “On the Stage – and Off.” / [short rule] / BOSTON / SAMUEL E. CASSINO
18 (? 1.1) 2-148. Pp. [6] 9-226.
Contents: [1] title-page; [2] blank; [3] dedication; [4] CONTENTS. / [short rule]; [5] PREFACE. / [short rule]; [6] blank; 9-226 text.
Printed on laid paper, chain lines vertical, except for title-page cancel, which has horizontal chain lines. Size 146 x 98mm.
Except for substitute title-page, printed from the same plates as the Altemus 1890 edition, above.
Copies seen: University of Miami Library. - * The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. A Book for an Idle Holiday. Leipzig, Bernhard Tauchnitz, 1891.
18 2-168. Pp. 1-9 10-254 255-56.
Contents: 1 half-title: / BRITISH AUTHORS / TAUCHNITZ EDITION. / VOL. 2776. / THE IDLE THOUGHTS OF AN IDLE FELLOW. / BY / JEROME K. JEROME. / IN ONE VOLUME.; 2 list of other Jerome titles in Tauchnitz editions; 3 title-page; 4 blank; 5 dedication; 6 blank; 7 PREFACE.; 8 blank; 9-10 CONTENTS.; 11-254 text; 255 [short rule] / PRINTING OFFICE OF THE PUBLISHER. / [short rule]; 256 blank.
Each essay has a half-title.
Printed on wove paper, size 152 x 110mm.
*Buff paper cover, lettered in black.
Copies seen: FR; APR. - The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. A Book for an Idle Holiday. New York, M. J. Ivers & Co., Publishers, 379 Pearl Street.
Uses the original Field and Tuer sequence of essays.
151p. (American series)
Copies seen: University of Louisiana, Lafayette – title-page & first page of text. - The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. Stage Land. New York, A. L. Burt, Publisher.
151, 128p.
Idle Thoughts is printed from the same plates as the Ivers edition, above. The Stage Land setting is similar in style to the Henry Holt edition..
Copies seen: Colorado State University Library – title-page & first page of text.
. - The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow and Stage-Land. New York, A. L. Burt Company, Publishers, 52-58 Duane Street.
313p.
Uses the altered sequence of essays as in the Henry Holt edition.
Contents:1-163, The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow; 165-249, Stage-Land; 250-313, Dreams, Clocks, and Evergreens, from Diary of a Pilgrimage, and Six Essays, (not listed in the table of contents).
Printed on wove paper, size 184 x 123mm.
Frontispiece (portrait) is inserted facing the title-page.
Issued in several series, with different coloured cloth bindings..
Copies seen : FR (3). - The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. Springfield, Ohio, Mast, Crowell & Kirkpatrick, 1894. 62p.
Printed on poor wove paper, size 198 x 136mm.
Pink paper cover.
Copies seen: University of Illinois Library. - Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. New York, H. M. Caldwell Company.
210p.
Printed on laid paper, chain lines vertical, size 148 x 103mm
Frontispiece (portrait) and title-page, on coated paper, are inserted before the first gathering; 4 plates facing pages in the text.
Issued at several prices and with several different decorative cloth or leather bindings.
Copies seen: FR (2); University of Chicago Library; University of Illinois Library. - The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. A Book for an Idle Holiday. Chicago, Donohue Brothers, 407-429 Dearborn St.
210p.
Title-page all in gothic type face, except for the imprint.
Text printed from the same plates as the H. M. Caldwell edition, above.
Printed on poor wove paper, size 184 x 122mm.
Light brown cloth, decorated in red and black; author and title gilt lettered on spine, publisher in black.
Copies seen: FR. - The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. A Book for an Idle Holiday. Chicago, Donohue, Henneberry & Co., 407-429 Dearborn St.
210p.
Printed either on wove or on laid paper.
Text printed from the same plates as the H. M. Caldwell edition, above.
Some versions have frontispiece and title-page, on coated paper, inserted before the first signature; others lack frontispiece, and have the title-page as part of the first gathering. Issued at several prices and with several different styles of cloth or leather bindings.
Copies seen: FR (2); University of Illinois Library. - The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. A Book for an Idle Holiday.. Chicago, Geo. M. Hill.
210p.
Text printed from the same plates as H. M. Caldwell edition, above.
Copies seen: Charleston Southern University Library – title-page & first page of text. - The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. A Book for an Idle Holiday. New York, Home Book Company, 45 Vesey Street.
210p.
Text printed from the same plates as the H. M. Caldwell edition, above.
Printed on laid paper, chain lines vertical, size 151 x 104mm.
Beige cloth, lettered in brown.
Copies seen: FR; University of Illinois Library. - The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. New York, Merrill and Baker, Publishers.
210p.
Text printed from the same plates as the H. M. Caldwell edition, above.
Copies seen: University of Notre Dame Library – title-page & first page of text. - The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. A Book for an Idle Holiday. New York, The Mershon Company, Publishers.
210p.
Text printed from the same plates as the H. M. Caldwell edition, above.
Printed on wove paper, size 148 x 103mm.
Cover title, on coated paper, inserted before the first gathering, printed in black and orange-red.
Decorative floral boards, quarter bound in dull green cloth with decorative floral design on spine and front, in silver.
Copies seen: FR. - Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. Chicago, Rothschild, Retailer of Everything, State and Van Buren Streets.
210p.
Text printed from the same plates as the H. M. Caldwell edition, above.
Blue-green cloth, lettered in gold.
Copies seen: Loyola University Library, Chicago – title-page & first page of text. - The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. A Book for an Idle Holiday. New York, Siegel-Cooper Co.
210p.
Printed on poor wove paper, size 182 x 121mm.
Text printed from the same plates as the H. M. Caldwell edition, above.
Brown cloth, gilt lettered on spine; front: large black ornament center, wavy red border;
Copies seen: FR. - The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. A Book for an Idle Holiday. New York, Wilmore-Andrews Publishing Co.
210p.
Text printed from the same plates as H. M. Caldwell edition, above.
Copies seen: St. Peter’s College Library, Jersey City, NJ – title-page & first page of text. - The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. Chicago, Thompson & Thomas.
210p.
Not seen. - Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. New York, Bay View. (50¢; 75¢)
Not seen. Listed in United States Catalog, 1899. - The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. L. C. Page. ($1)
Not seen. Listed in United States Catalog, 1899. - The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. Philadelphia, The Rodgers Company.
203p.
Printed on wove paper, size 146 x 98mm.
Frontispiece and three plates by S. A. Jamison on coated paper, the frontispiece inserted facing title-page, and the plates facing pp. 66, 124, 174.
Dull brown cloth, lettered on front and spine in silver.
Copies seen: FR. - Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. New York, H. M. Caldwell Co., Publishers.
203p..
Frontispiece on laid paper, with chain lines vertical, and title-page on plate paper, inserted before 1.1.
Plates on coated paper by S. A. Jamison, identified to face pp. 42, 66, 124, 174, are inserted facing pp. 12, 60, 124 and 172.
Printed on wove paper, size 157 x 104mm.
Text printed from the same plates as the Rodgers Company edition, above, and uses the same illustrations.
Blue cloth, gilt lettered on front and spine.
Copies seen: FR. - The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. New York, Hurst & Company, Publishers.
203p.
Printed on wove paper, size 149 x 103mm.
Text printed from the same plates as the Rodgers Company edition, above.
Off-white cloth with coloured portrait of a woman with flower basket in center of front, with vertical floral design in outer panels; light brown lettering on front and spine.
Copies seen: FR. - The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. A Book for an Idle Holiday. Chicago, W. B. Conkey Company, Publishers.
172p.
Printed on wove paper, size 149 x 101mm.
Frontispiece (portrait) and title-page inserted on plate paper before 1.2.
Plates by Charles A Cox face pp. 48, 110 (marked p.89) and 132 (marked p.133).
Copies seen: Library of Congress – copyright deposit copy, date of acquisition 18 August 1900. - Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. Chicago, The Henneberry Company, 554 Wabash Avenue.
172p.
Text printed from the same plates as the Conkey edition, above.
Printed on stout wove paper, size 183 x 120mm.
Dark red cloth, gilt lettered on spine.
Copies seen: FR. - The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. A Book for an Idle Holiday. Chicago, Homewood Publishing Company, Publishers.
172p. (Amaranth Series).
Text printed from the same plates as the Conkey edition, above.
Printed on laid paper, chain lines vertical, size 150 x 101mm.
Olive green cloth, lettered in brown, with red and brown ornaments.
Copies seen: FR. - The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. A Book for an Idle Holiday. 2nd ed. Bristol, Arrowsmith, 1920.
216p.
Light blue cloth, lettered in dark blue on front and spine; advertisement for Fry’s Breakfast Cocoa on back cover.
Listed in English Catalogue, November 1920, 2/-.
Copies seen: APR (2).
Reprinted 1924 (“3rd edition”), 1928 (“4th edition”), 1941-1944 (“11th-22nd impressions”). Copies seen: APR (7, various impressions). - THE IDLE THOUGHTS / OF AN IDLE FELLOW / A Book for an Idle Holiday / JEROME K. JEROME / [publisher’s device] / ARROWSMITH
Pp. 1-6 7-173 174-76.
Printed on wove paper, size 184 x 123mm.
Green paper boards, blue-green cloth with green lettering on spine.
Copies seen: FR 25th impression; APR (6, from 23rd-25th impressions, May 1945 –July 1947) - Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. A Book for an Idle Holiday. London, Dent, 1951.
173p.
Text printed from the plates of the Arrowsmith edition, above.
Cloth, front and back blue, spine off-white, gilt lettered: The / IDLE / THOUGHTS / of an / IDLE / FELLOW / Jerome / K. / Jerome / DENT
Copies seen: APR (26th impression, 1951; 27th, 1955; 28th 1960). - Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. London, Dent, 1983. Introduction by Stephen Pile. (Everyman’s Library).
Pp. [2] 1-10 11-173 174.
Text printed from the plates of the Arrrowsmith edition, above.
Printed on wove paper, size 189 x 122mm.
Light orange-brown cloth, gilt lettered on spine.
Copies seen: Portland State University Library. - The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. Girard, Kansas, Appeal to Reason, [1920].
Unsigned 164. Pp. 1-5 6-128.
Contents: 1 title-page; 2 blank; 3 dedication; 4 Preface; 5 6-128 text, headed ‘The Idle Thoughts of An / Idle Fellow / By Jerome K. Jerome / ON BEING IDLE.’ Sequence of essays as in the Holt edition.
Title-page crudely lettered, text type small and poorly printed, includes all essays. Printed on wove paper, size 126 x 87mm. Stapled.
Light blue paper cover: PEOPLE’S POCKET SERIES NO. 18 / Edited by E. Haldeman-Julius / The Idle Thoughts / of an / Idle Fellow / By Jerome K. Jerome / APPEAL PUBLISHING COMPANY / GIRARD, KANSAS.
Reprinted several times, colour of cover varies.
Copies seen: FR; University of Kansas Library, Pittsburg State University Library. - People’s Pocket Series No 18 / The Idle Thoughts / of an / Idle Fellow / By Jerome K. Jerome / Appeal to Reason / Girard, Kans.
Collation, pagination and contents as in previous entry.
Printed on poor wove paper, size 129 x 87mm. Stapled.
Green paper cover: ‘TEN CENT POCKET SERIES NO. 18 / Edited by E. Haldeman-Julius / Idle Thoughts / of an / Idle Fellow / Jerome K. Jerome / HALDEMAN-JULIUS COMPANY / GIRARD, KANSAS’.
[Pittsburg State University Library identifies this as the 2nd printing of the 1st edition]
—Another copy, as previous entry, except cover is light blue-gray. [Possibly 3rd printing of the 1st edition?] [FR – 2 copies] - The Idle Thoughts / of an / Idle Fellow / Jerome K. Jerome
Unsigned, 164. Pp. 1-5 6-128.
Collation, pagination and contents as before.
Printed on poor wove paper, size 124 x 88mm. Stapled.
Blue-grey paper cover, headed: ‘TEN CENT POCKET SERIES NO. 18 / Edited by E. Haldeman-Julius / Idle Thoughts / of an / Idle Fellow / Jerome K. Jerome / HALDEMAN-JULIUS COMPANY / GIRARD, KANSAS’.
[Pittsburg State University Library identifies this as the 4th printing of the 1st edition; FR – 3 copies] - The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. Girard, Kansas, Haldeman-Julius Company
Unsigned, 164. Pp. 1-3 4-126 127-28.
Sequence of essays as in the Holt edition, but omits the last two essays (‘On Dress and Deportment’ and ‘On Memory.’). Quality of type and printing improved.
Printed on wove paper, size 129 x 91mm. Stapled.
Blue-grey paper cover, headed: TEN CENT POCKET SERIES NO. 18 / Edited by E. Haldeman-Julius / Idle Thoughts / of an / Idle Fellow / Jerome K. Jerome / HALDEMAN-JULIUS COMPANY / GIRARD, KANSAS; back cover contains advertisements for Life and Letters (monthly) and Haldeman-Julius Weekly.
Copies seen: FR (2); University of Kansas Library, Pittsburg State University Library. - The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. A Book for an Idle Holiday. London, The Readers Library Publishing Company Ltd., [1928].
Pp. [4] 7-8 9-251 [5].
Double rule below running titles.
Printed on wove paper, size 163 x 99mm.
Maroon cloth, gilt lettered front and spine.
Copies seen: British Library – 012603.ee.61, acquisition date 25 April 1928. - The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. A Book for an Idle Holiday. London, The Readers Library Publishing Company Ltd., [1938] (New Chevron Series).
Pp. 1-7 8-251 252.
Editor’s note set in larger type than 1928 issue.
Text printed from the same plates as 1928, but no rules below running titles.
Printed on wove paper, size (rebound) 178 x 105mm.
Green and white paper cover, lettered in black.
Copies seen: APR; British Library – 012206.ee.1/57, acquisition date 18 December 1938. - Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. Gloucester, Alan Sutton, 1982.
Reprinted several times.
Illustrated paper cover.
Copies seen: Library of Congress (1990).
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