Kipling, Rudyard

Publisher's proof sheets and galleys with the author's extensive holograph revisions and corrections in black ink, presumably for the second American edition, consisting of a set of 8vo page proofs with running title "Kim O'Rishti" numbered pp. 27-64, set of long galleys, 380 x 255 mm, of 19 four page gatherings, text printed in two columns per page, columns numbered 57-202, with one gathering (columns 65-72) duplicated but with some differing corrections. Each with set with intermittent blue stamp of Clark printers under right text columns of galleys and right corner of page proofs. Some minor small creases or closed marginal tears to galleys and proofs, never affecting text or corrections.

Richards, Early Editions of Kim www.kiplingsociety.co.cuk/members/papers_richards,kim

Stewart, Rudyard Kipling A Bibliographical Catalogue. pp. 212-214

see cataloguing
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Correcting his greatest work, Kipling's heavily editied galleys for Kim.

Kipling famously worked on his enduring novel for seven years, his excitement growing as at last he neared completion of the manuscript for what the author and his publisher's intended as a major publishing event. In correspondence between Kipling and his friend and publisher Frank N. Doubleday (see lot 103) he writes enthusiastically of "finally licking Kim into shape" in late 1899 and then a few months later the plans for international publication including a Finnish edition.

Publication began serially, with McClure's running the installments from December, 1900 to October, 1901 in the U.S. and Cassell's Magazine in England from January to November, 1901. Book edtions of the novel quickly followed, though in a somewhat convoluted and confusing fashion.  The first American edition, publshed on 1 October 1901 by Doubleday, Page carried only the verse chapter headings for chapters VIII and XIII, whereas they were present for all chapters in both the English serial issue and the first English edition, which was filed for copyright on 17 October 1901.

The Second American edition, published on 23 October the same year, restores the English chapter headings. In the present galleys Kipling has carefully added the verse before each chapter in manuscript, with further extensive edtis  comprising over 3000 changes to single words or emending short sentences.

These holograph edits seem to correspond exactly with the text of the first English edition.  Kipling's note that these are "Quiried Galleys" along the top of some pages and the "Doubleday" in the upper left of others (and of course  the provenance) it would seem safe to assume  that these galleys and proofs were used for the revisions to the Second American edition, in addition to the more lightly corrected galleys of the same format and printer now currently at the Houghton Library.

An exciting and remarkable rediscovery for Kipling scholarship.