Tarzan of the Apes
| Series | Tarzan #1 |
| Publisher | A.C. McClurg & Co. |
| First Published | June 6, 1914 |
First Edition Identifiers
Photo of second state showing Acorn symbol between “A” and “C”.
Published on June 6, 1914, this is Edgar Rice Burroughs' first novel to come out in hard cover. There are 3 states of the first edition, all bound in a maroon cloth. All three have the publisher's name, “A.C. McClurg”, printed on the spine and on the title page. The first and second state books each weigh about 1.25lbs due to using a heavier stock paper. The words “W.F. Hall Printing Co. Chicago” are printed in Old English on the copyright page, whereas the third state uses the Gothic type-face. See photo below and to the right for examples.
(Located at bottom of Copyright page)
Copyright page from first state. Note — the 4 leaf clover is a marker showing my ownership and is not on the actual page.
The difference between the 1st and 2nd state is that there is an Acorn symbol printed on the spine above A.C. McClurg. The third state has a title page that has been tipped in. All three printings have gold leaf lettering on the cover and spine. There is only one illustration, the frontispiece.
Of these 3 states, it has been confirmed that both the 2nd & 3rd states were published for the Canadian market by “McClelland, Goodchild and Stewart” by simply tipping in a new title page bearing their name into the American first edition.
A mysterious 4th state surfaced in Dr. Henry Hein's 1964 book. Research suggests there never was a 4th state “Tarzan of the Apes”. The “hideous orange” cover was in reality a 3rd state weathered by sunlight & moisture. The green binding variants were most likely A.L. Burt copies. A.C. McClurg printed a total of 10,000 First Edition copies, with approximations of 5000 of the 1st state, 2500 of the 2nd state, and 2500 of the 3rd state. The book shown below is the 1st state, first edition.
Photographs
Above is a reproduction of the first edition dust jacket purchased from the defunct ERB Jacket Store.
Reprint Editions
A.L. Burt Reprint Editions
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From 1915 until 1928 A.L. Burt reprinted this title in a number of variations as shown above. The earliest printings have white lettering and the dust jacket is virtually the same as the first edition jacket; however “A.L. Burt” is printed on the spine. Later versions have black lettering on the covers and the dust jacket colors have changed slightly, i.e. the leaves are light green. A.L. Burt did not include the date of the printing so many a novice incorrectly assumes the book to be a first edition as the only date listed is the copyright date.
Grosset & Dunlap Reprint Editions
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From 1927 until 1973 Grosset & Dunlap reprinted this title in a number of variations with some of them shown above. Mostly the colors of the books are some hue of red or brown. The dust jacket art has been changed by modifying the original illustration by Fred J. Arting from a night-time black silhouette Tarzan to a daytime full-color Tarzan. This modified artwork is used into the 1950’s. Grosset & Dunlap did not include the date of the printing so many a novice incorrectly assumes the book to be a first edition as the only date listed is the copyright date. The age of the book can often be approximated by examining the advertisements in the back of the book for other Edgar Rice Burroughs titles.
| Low | Modal | Average | High | Avg. Condition | Qty Sold | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Without Dust Jacket | $396 | $958.5 | $1,158.86 | $2,955 | VG | 22 |
| With Dust Jacket | $45,000 | $45,000 | $45,000.00 | $45,000 | NF | 1 |