# 1st edition of "Frankenstein," signed by Mary Shelly and inscribed to Lord Byron, found in attic **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 16, 2013, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-edition-of-frankenstein-signed-by-mary-shelly-and-inscribed-to-lord-byron-found-in-attic/647425 "2013-01-16T22:08:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-edition-of-frankenstein-signed-by-mary-shelly-and-inscribed-to-lord-byron-found-in-attic/647425/1 "2013-01-16T22:08:37Z")
[Wowzers.](http://www.finebooksmagazine.com/issue/1101/frankenstein-1.phtml) Only 500 copies were printed, they think only around 25 were signed by Shelley - and of those, only two have survived (including this one). ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-edition-of-frankenstein-signed-by-mary-shelly-and-inscribed-to-lord-byron-found-in-attic/647425/2 "2013-01-16T22:11:00Z")
Excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the floor. What a treasure. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-edition-of-frankenstein-signed-by-mary-shelly-and-inscribed-to-lord-byron-found-in-attic/647425/3 "2013-01-16T22:21:11Z")
Damn it, I’ve been looking for that thing everywhere. Did they happen to say whether the “10 til 3/You and me/with Percy B.” lovenote was still being used as a bookmark? ---
**Author:** ![TPWombat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbce88/32.png) [@TPWombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TPWombat)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2013, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-edition-of-frankenstein-signed-by-mary-shelly-and-inscribed-to-lord-byron-found-in-attic/647425/4 "2013-01-17T00:40:31Z")
So do we know what bastard borrowed it off Byron and never returned it? ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Hen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@Small\_Hen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Hen)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2013, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-edition-of-frankenstein-signed-by-mary-shelly-and-inscribed-to-lord-byron-found-in-attic/647425/5 "2013-01-17T01:29:06Z")
Look at that guy. Most people who come across such things have a kind of “we’re honored to have found such a priceless part of history, it will be hard for us to part with it” demeanor. Not this guy. Everything about his expression screams, “Cha-CHING! Think of all the awesome plaid suits I can buy with this!” ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2013, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-edition-of-frankenstein-signed-by-mary-shelly-and-inscribed-to-lord-byron-found-in-attic/647425/6 "2013-01-17T02:12:27Z")
> [@Small\_Hen](#): > > Look at that guy. Most people who come across such things have a kind of “we’re honored to have found such a priceless part of history, it will be hard for us to part with it” demeanor. Not this guy. Everything about his expression screams, “Cha-CHING! Think of all the awesome plaid suits I can buy with this!” Unless my reading comprehension is a lot worse than usual, he didn’t get any money from it; the book belonged to his grandmother and she sold it, so she would be buying plaid granny dresses with the proceeds. ---
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2013, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-edition-of-frankenstein-signed-by-mary-shelly-and-inscribed-to-lord-byron-found-in-attic/647425/7 "2013-01-17T03:01:40Z")
> [@Manduck](#): > > Unless my reading comprehension is a lot worse than usual, he didn’t get any money from it; the book belonged to his grandmother and she sold it, so she would be buying plaid granny dresses with the proceeds. I’m sure granny gave him a nice finders fee. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2013, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-edition-of-frankenstein-signed-by-mary-shelly-and-inscribed-to-lord-byron-found-in-attic/647425/8 "2013-01-17T03:15:40Z")
> [@Small\_Hen](#): > > Look at that guy. Most people who come across such things have a kind of “we’re honored to have found such a priceless part of history, it will be hard for us to part with it” demeanor. Not this guy. Everything about his expression screams, “Cha-CHING! Think of all the awesome plaid suits I can buy with this!” Really? That looks more like a “Hey ladieees” smirk to me. I’m not exactly sure what sort of booty a first edition signed Frankenstein gets you, but he’s into it. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2013, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-edition-of-frankenstein-signed-by-mary-shelly-and-inscribed-to-lord-byron-found-in-attic/647425/9 "2013-01-17T04:41:34Z")
Lucky bastage. What a cool find. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2013, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-edition-of-frankenstein-signed-by-mary-shelly-and-inscribed-to-lord-byron-found-in-attic/647425/10 "2013-01-17T04:55:09Z")
Are they sure it’s an original? Somebody didn’t just assemble this copy from fragments of other printings, did they? ---
**Author:** ![Telperion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telperion/32/509_2.png) [@Telperion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperion)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2013, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-edition-of-frankenstein-signed-by-mary-shelly-and-inscribed-to-lord-byron-found-in-attic/647425/11 "2013-01-17T05:23:46Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Are they sure it’s an original? Somebody didn’t just assemble this copy from fragments of other printings, did they? I’m inclined to trust the Bodleian on this matter, it’s the research library of a little place you may have heard of called the University of Oxford. ---
**Author:** ![Fugazi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@Fugazi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fugazi)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2013, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-edition-of-frankenstein-signed-by-mary-shelly-and-inscribed-to-lord-byron-found-in-attic/647425/12 "2013-01-17T05:38:18Z")
> [@bryan ekers](#): > > are they sure it’s an original? Somebody didn’t just assemble this copy from fragments of other printings, did they? IT’s ALIVe!!! ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2013, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-edition-of-frankenstein-signed-by-mary-shelly-and-inscribed-to-lord-byron-found-in-attic/647425/13 "2013-01-17T13:04:52Z")
Boy, I would hope this is real. But ever since the Mark Hofman Mormon document forgeries in the 1980s, I look skeptically at finds that are “too good to be true”. (I was in Utah at the time, and had a front-row seat [Mark Hofmann - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Hofmann)) He managhed to sneak his stuff into libraries and respectable sellers, as well, to the point that people are still in doubt about a lot of documenrs that are in any way involved with him (including lots on non-LDS stuff). Things like the “Ossuary of Jesus’ brother” show that Too Good To Be True things are still popping up [James Ossuary - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ossuary_of_James) ---
**Author:** ![Stormcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/0ea827/32.png) [@Stormcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stormcrow)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2013, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-edition-of-frankenstein-signed-by-mary-shelly-and-inscribed-to-lord-byron-found-in-attic/647425/14 "2013-01-17T13:54:38Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Boy, I would hope this is real. But ever since the Mark Hofman Mormon document forgeries in the 1980s, I look skeptically at finds that are “too good to be true”. In this case, though, it’s one of two known copies - so there is a presumably legit version to compare it with. That’s got to make it vastly more likely to be what it purports to be. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2013, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-edition-of-frankenstein-signed-by-mary-shelly-and-inscribed-to-lord-byron-found-in-attic/647425/15 "2013-01-17T14:53:09Z")
> [@Telperion](#): > > I’m inclined to trust the Bodleian on this matter, it’s the research library of a little place you may have heard of called the University of Oxford. _Heard_ of it? I taught a course on Comparative Irony there! ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2013, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-edition-of-frankenstein-signed-by-mary-shelly-and-inscribed-to-lord-byron-found-in-attic/647425/16 "2013-01-17T14:57:57Z")
> [@Stormcrow](#): > > In this case, though, it’s one of two known copies - so there is a presumably legit version to compare it with. That’s got to make it vastly more likely to be what it purports to be. You wouldn’t have to forge _the entire book_. If it were a forgery, I’d suspect only the part that said it was being given to Byron. There are two known copies, but many more were printed. admittedly a third copy would be pretty valuable, but a copy autographed by Shelley would be even more so. And one inscribed to Byron would be the Holy Grail. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2013, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-edition-of-frankenstein-signed-by-mary-shelly-and-inscribed-to-lord-byron-found-in-attic/647425/17 "2013-01-17T17:49:44Z")
There’s some hurricane-force whooshing going on here… ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2013, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-edition-of-frankenstein-signed-by-mary-shelly-and-inscribed-to-lord-byron-found-in-attic/647425/18 "2013-01-17T21:28:09Z")
That is totally cool. Harrington is a well-known rare book dealer and the grandson works there, so verifying and moving it was no doubt smooth. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2013, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-edition-of-frankenstein-signed-by-mary-shelly-and-inscribed-to-lord-byron-found-in-attic/647425/19 "2013-01-17T22:20:36Z")
Ah, the lucky lad indeed. I know when my grand mama allowed me to go through grand papa’s things and I discovered that rare Rolls Royce in garage number 32, and the fun of finding a few of the Crown Jewels that had been loaned to the family and they had forgotten to return them to Queen Victoria, and that original manuscript of an uppublished Shakespearean play - oh the fun we had that summer. I am sure you all have equally lovely tales to tell when rummaging through your grandfather’s library or just sniffing around the family wine cellar, right? I mean, who among us has not nipped a glass from that 200 year old Sherry - ha! ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2013, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-edition-of-frankenstein-signed-by-mary-shelly-and-inscribed-to-lord-byron-found-in-attic/647425/20 "2013-01-17T22:25:17Z")
Is this rare edition that includes the “Putting on the Ritz” section that was ultimately removed from later printings? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-edition-of-frankenstein-signed-by-mary-shelly-and-inscribed-to-lord-byron-found-in-attic/647425.md?page=2)