# War of the Worlds first edition DJ
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-of-the-worlds-first-edition-dj/638024
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [October 17, 2012, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-of-the-worlds-first-edition-dj/638024 "2012-10-17T16:30:12Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)
#### Post date: [October 17, 2012, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-of-the-worlds-first-edition-dj/638024/1 "2012-10-17T16:30:12Z")
I’ve acquired a first edition of H.G Wells’ “The War of the Worlds.” Don’t go all crazy…it’s a first _US_ edition. It’s in pretty good shape, the head & tail are well worn but the binding is good except where one of the illustrated plates is half-loose–the binding is a bit cracked there.
Here’s my question: does anyone have a pic of the dust jacket (AKA dust cover) that was originally on this edition? I’d like to create a fake one just for fun. I promise I won’t try to convince anyone that it’s the original DJ.
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### Author:  [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)
#### Post date: [October 17, 2012, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-of-the-worlds-first-edition-dj/638024/2 "2012-10-17T18:40:06Z")
Hmm - first published in 1898 in the UK, so the US is probably that year or within a year or two. My guess would be that the dj would be a plain, white or buff or light-colored piece of paper with some info on it like the title, author and publisher - maybe a line design or something to accent the writing.
As a rule, dj’s were just packaging to protect the book for shipping back in the day. It was customary to toss them upon getting home and putting the book up on your shelf - up through WW2 even. Heck, that’s why a first edition of The Great Gatsby in great shape, no dj, can go for ~$5,000 or more, but \*with \*a dj can go for $200,000 or more - dj’s were so commonly thrown away that finding one is a big deal - and it was published in 1925.
[Here’s](http://www.google.com/imgres?q=dust+jackets+for+book+youth+conrad&um=1&hl=en&safe=off&sa=N&rlz=1T4GGLL_enUS388US389&biw=1000&bih=797&tbm=isch&tbnid=CFYXlnIvyvumFM:&imgrefurl=http://www.royalbooks.com/searchResults.php%3Faction%3Dbrowse%26category_id%3D741&docid=3Yn4Ag2-6ePA1M&imgurl=http://www.royalbooks.com/pictures/medium/103674.jpg&w=219&h=370&ei=yfp-ULy6PPPlyAHOv4Bg&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=63&sig=113043002350217202182&page=1&tbnh=158&tbnw=97&start=0&ndsp=26&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0,i:79&tx=49&ty=69) a book from 1922 with a dj more or less as I describe - I think that it is pretty typical…
Oh, and [here](http://www.bestofsherlock.com/ref/hound-exhibit-2012.htm) (scroll down about a page) is a pic of the dj for the First US of The Hound of the Baskervilles - again, pretty typical…
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### Author:  [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)
#### Post date: [October 17, 2012, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-of-the-worlds-first-edition-dj/638024/3 "2012-10-17T21:18:08Z")
You might try this link, to ABEBooks. Scroll down and search.
> **[War of the Worlds by Wells, First Edition - AbeBooks](https://www.abebooks.com/book-search/title/war-of-the-worlds/author/wells/first-edition/hard-cover/sortby/1/)**
>
> War of the Worlds and Other Science Fiction Classics by H. G. Wells and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at AbeBooks.com.