Thrift Samuel Smiles 1875 First Edition Victorian Self-Help Classic
 
Title & Bibliographic Details
Thrift By Samuel Smiles.
London: John Murray, Albemarle Street, 1875.
First Edition, First Printing.
Printed by Hazell, Watson, and Viney, London and Aylesbury.
Octavo. [xii], 384 pages, followed by 12 pages of publisher's catalogue. The Preface is dated London, November 1875.
No dust jacket, as issued.
The first edition status is well supported by bibliographical and bookselling records for the John Murray London issue of 1875. Comparable copies are recorded with the same [xii], 384-page collation and original green publisher's cloth.
 
Historical & Bibliographic Context
Published in 1875, Thrift was conceived by Smiles as a sequel to his enormously influential Self-Help (1859) and Character (1871). In his Preface, Smiles explains that thrift is “the basis of Self-help”, presenting the intelligent use of money as both a practical and moral virtue.
The book explores the Victorian ideals of industry, economy, saving, self-denial and personal independence, but its scope extends considerably further. Smiles discusses working people's earnings, education, savings banks, life assurance, co-operation, debt, philanthropy, healthy homes and relations between employers and workers.
The sixteen chapters provide a fascinating picture of Victorian attitudes towards money and social advancement. Among the individuals and subjects discussed are James Watt, George Stephenson, James Nasmyth, Canova, Sir Titus Salt, John Crossley, the Crossley family of Halifax, savings banks, penny banks, co-operative societies and the development of healthier homes.
Of particular interest is Smiles's treatment of savings banks and working people's savings, reflecting the rapid development of Victorian financial institutions and changing ideas about economic independence.
The book is therefore more than a work of personal financial advice. It is an illuminating example of nineteenth-century social and moral literature and an important expression of the Victorian philosophy of self-improvement.
The 1875 John Murray edition is recorded with 384 pages, while Google Books identifies the work as concerning saving and investment and reproduces the same chapter sequence and pagination found in this copy.
 
About the Author
Samuel Smiles (1812–1904) was a Scottish author, reformer and writer whose works became closely associated with Victorian ideas of self-help, self-reliance and personal improvement.
His best-known work, Self-Help, was first published in 1859 and became one of the defining books of Victorian self-improvement literature. Smiles subsequently developed these themes in Character, Thrift, Duty and other works.
Thrift occupies an important position within this sequence, applying Smiles's philosophy to saving, work, economic independence and social responsibility.
 
Binding & Exterior Description
An original green publisher's cloth binding over boards and spine.
The front board and spine feature gilt lettering with black blind-stamped decoration, while the rear board is also decorated with blind-stamped designs.
The binding remains intact and retains good Victorian shelf appeal. There is rubbing to the edges, including the long edges of the spine, with bumping to the corners. There are small splits at the long edges of the spine and at the head and tail, together with some small or light marks and scratches consistent with age and use.
The original publisher's cloth is an important feature of the copy and preserves the appearance in which the book was issued by John Murray.
 
Interior Condition
Green coloured pastedowns and free endpapers. The paper is lightly tanned, with light foxing to the preliminary pages and towards the end of the volume.
The pages are otherwise generally neat and clean, with only very occasional light creasing and very occasional small marks that do not affect the text. There are occasional untrimmed page edges and a very small number of minor edge tears, none affecting the text.
A sticker is present on the front pastedown, with remnants of pencil to the half-title. There is also a pencil signature on page 376 which cannot be deciphered.
The text block is secure overall. There are light cracks in the gutter between a handful of pages, but these do not affect the structural integrity of the book.
 
Completeness
All pages have been checked and are present.
The copy contains the complete [xii], 384-page text, followed by the 12-page publisher's catalogue.
 
Physical Details
Pages: [xii], 384 pages, plus 12 pages of publisher's catalogue.
Dimensions: approximately 18.8 × 12.7 × 3.1 cm.
Weight: approximately 519 grams.
 
Collector Summary
A genuine First Edition, First Printing of Samuel Smiles's Thrift, published by John Murray in London in 1875.
An important Victorian work exploring thrift, industry, saving, self-reliance and social independence, presented here in its original green publisher's cloth with gilt and blind-stamped decoration.
The combination of first-edition status, original Victorian binding, complete text and extensive contemporary commentary on Victorian social and economic life makes this an appealing copy for collectors of Samuel Smiles, Victorian social history and the literature of self-improvement.