Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

New York: Norman L. Munro, 1886. Pirate edition. Softcover. Very good -. 12mo, 67pp., [14pp.]. A nearly very good copy in the publisher's printed wraps. Sizable chip to the rear wrap, with some loss. Small area of loss to the last text leaf (an advertisement). Marginal dampstain affects a number of pages, but is not disfiguring. Expert repair to the front wrap, which had been partly detached. A very fragile production, printed on very cheap paper stock, and altogether reasonably well preserved. A remarkably scarce and early pirate edition of this groundbreaking psychological thriller. Much more common in commerce and library holdings is the edition pirated by George Munro. This example was published by George's brother Norman, who ran a competing reprint publishing house. This piracy, dated May 3, 1886 (about four months after the first US edition was published by Scribner), is held by just two institutions according to OCLC (Yale and Ohio State). Not recorded in the Gertsley Collection at Princeton. The front wrapper illustration features two portraits of middle-aged men; one on each side of the wrapper, appearing to signify Jekyll and Hyde. A fragile and cheaply produced publication, unfortunately showing notable wear, but still mercifully complete.