Everyone may well have heard of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and Around the World in 80 Days, but what many may not be aware of is that Jules Verne was a very prolific writer in his day, churning out many short stories, fairytales, poems, plays and serialized adventures. He was well-regarded as an adventurist of his time, with a collection of much of his work in volumes known as the 'Voyages Extroardinaires' (or Extraordinary Travels). While today his contribution to the field of speculative fiction is undeniable, at the time his work was published, it was considered rather immodest, even low-brow!
However, this makes the task of collecting Jules Verne far more interesting for the serious collector. While his tales were picked up by a series of newspapers and periodical magazines, the novels were only picked up by somewhat smaller publishers in London, Paris and Canada. One of the most notable of these was London's Strahern and Co., who invested serious money into producing hard-bound copies of his work.
These gorgeous Strahern First Editions which date from the late nineteenth century (1875 onwards), include hard-bound stained covers (so there are red, green and blue editions) as well as embossed gold leaf covers. Although not as fancy compared to some of the larger publishers, and with a higher likelihood of decay and damage to the binding, for the collector that means that these editions can be relatively inexpensive. What makes them doubly attractive is the addition of printed book plate illustrations throughout inspired by the stories within. First Edition Jules Verne from London's Strahernand Co are available from as little as $200 dollars right up to $1000.
Verne, Jules. A Voyage in a Balloon and 2 Early Parts of Walden. John Sartain , Philadelphia (1852). The Verne piece ,A Voyage in a Balloon was translated from the French by Anne T
Verne, Jules. Cinq semaines en ballon. J. Hetzel, Paris (1863).
Verne, Jules. De la Terre a la Lune (from the earth to the moon). J. Hetzel, Paris (1868).
Verne, Jules. Five Weeks in a Balloon - Every Saturday; First Verne English Appearance. Fields and Osgood, Boston (1868). First English
Verne, Jules. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Madrid (1869). Two parts in one volume; 111 engravings
Verne, Jules. Le tour du monde en quatre-vingt jours.. J Hetzel, Paris (1872).
Verne, Jules. A Tour of the World in 80 Days. James R. Osgood, Boston (1873). Correct first issue with no reference to the translator on the title page, one frontis illustration (Vern'e own yacht,Le Sanit Michel) repeated in gilt on the front cover
Verne, Jules. Around The World in Eighty Days. Porter ates, Philadelphia (1873).
Verne, Jules. Around the World in Eighty Days. Sampson Low, Marston, Low, and Searle (1873). 1874 on the copyright page
Verne, Jules. Around the World in Eighty Days. James R. Osgood , Boston (1873). With fifty-four plates and an engraved illustration in the text by A. de Neuville and L. Benett and a small drawing by Verne. Introduction by Adrien Marx. Translated by George M. Towle; First Printing with 1873 printed on the title page translated by Geo. M. Towle
Verne, Jules. Five Weeks in a Balloon. James R. Osgood , Boston (1873). With 48 heliotype illustrations by Riou
Verne, Jules. From the Earth to the Moon. Sampson Low, Marston, Low and Searle, London (1873). Translated from the French by Louis Mercier.and Eleanor E. King
Verne, Jules. In Search of the Castaways: A Romantic Narrative. J.B. Lippott , Philadelphia (1873). With 170 illustrations by Riou
Verne, Jules. Le Tour Du Monde en Quatre-Vingts Jours (Around the World in 80 days). J. Hertzel, Paris (1873). printer's code1757 -- 73 on page 220
Verne, Jules. The Tour of the World in 80 Days. James R. Osgood , Boston (1873). Frontis illustration by Jules Verne of Le Saint Michel; Correct first issue with no reference to the translator on the title page, one frontis illustration (Vern'e own yacht,Le Sanit Michel) repeated in gilt on the front cover; With a biographical introduction by Adrien Marx
Verne, Jules. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas. James R. Osgood, Boston (1873). WithThe End printed on page 303, illustrated with 109 plates, including two maps, with jellyfish on the front board, and the incorrect use of the wordSea in the title on front board
Verne, Jules. A Floating City and The Blockade Runners. Scribner, Armstrong, , New York (1874). 6 additional pages of publisher's ads
Verne, Jules. A Journey to the Centre of the Earth. Scribner, Armstrong , New York (1874). With 52 black and white engravings by Riou
Verne, Jules. Around The World In Eighty Days. Sampson Low, Marston, Low and Searle (1874).
Verne, Jules. Dr Ox's Experiment and Other Stories. Sampson Low, Marston and Searle, London (1874). First UK edition
Verne, Jules. From the Clouds to the Mountains. William F. Gill , Boston (1874). Stories included: A Drama In Mid-Air; Dr. Ox's Hobby; Master Zachary; A Winter Among the Ice-Fields; and The Fortieth French Ascent of Mt.Blanc; Translated by A.L. Alger
Verne, Jules. From the Earth to the Moon. Scribner, Armstrong , New York (1874). translated from the French by Louis Mercier and Eleanor E. King; illustrated with 80 full page illustrations
Verne, Jules. Meridiana, or Adventures in South Africa. Scribner, Armstrong , NY (1874). First State, with two titles listed on the title verso
Verne, Jules. The American Gun Club. Scribner, Armstrong , New York (1874). 24 illustrated plates
Verne, Jules. The Fur Country - or 70 Degrees North Latitude. Sampson Low , Marston, Low and Searle, London (1874). First UK edition
Verne, Jules. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas. Geo. M. Smith , Boston (1874). 110 illustrations; sold only by subscription
Verne, Jules. A Fancy of Doctor Ox, and The Tour of the World in Eighty Days. Office of The Evening Telegraph Philadelphia (1874). Translated expressly forThe Evening Telegraph by Stephen W. White and reprinted from the columns of that journal and Entered According to Act of Congress in the year 1874,
Verne, Jules. A Journey to the North Pole. George Routledge and Sons, London (1875). Frontispiece, twenty-two inserted plates and more than one hundred in-text illustrations by Edouard Riou
Verne, Jules. Around the World in Eighty Days.. Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, and Rivington, London. (1875). Translated by George M. Towle; 54 woodcut plates by L. BENNET
Verne, Jules. Dr. Ox's Experiment. James R. Osgood, Boston (1875). First American edition
Verne, Jules. Mysterious Island. Scribner, Armstrong , New York (1875). translated from the French by W.G. Kingston
Verne, Jules. The Field of Ice. In Routledge's Every Boy's Annual. George Routledge and Sons. London (1875). contains 7 chapters of Modern Magic by Professor Hoffman; With 126 illustrations by Riou
Verne, Jules. The Mysterious Island. Wrecked in the Air. Scribner, Armstrong , New York (1875). 48 illustrations
Verne, Jules. The Mysterious Island: Dropped From the Clouds. Sampson Low, Marston, Low and Searle, London (1875). First Edition 3 Volumes.
Verne, Jules. The Survivors of the Chancellor. Sampson. Low, Marston, London (1875). 55 illustrations
Verne, Jules. The Voyages and Adventures of Captain Hatteras. James R. Osgood , Boston (1875). With 250 illustrations by Riou
Verne, Jules. From the Earth to the Moon Direct in 97 Hours 20 Minutes. Sampson Low, London (1876). Trans. from the French by Louis Mercier and Eleanor E. King; varying numbers of illustrations: 1) vignette on title, 25 text illustrations by Riou; 2) 8 plates by Ferat; 3) vignette on title, 8 plates by Ferat; 4) frontispiece portrait of author, 14 plates by Ferat; 5) 7 plates by various French artists; 6) 9 full page illustrations by Emile Bayard; 7) frontispiece to both parts plus a total of 7 plates
Verne, Jules. The Mysterious Island. Scribner and Armstrong, New York (1876). Translated by W.H.G. Kingston; 149 full page illustrations by J. Ferat
Verne, Jules. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea. Ward, Lock, London (1876). First and Second Series Complete in One Volume with four colored illustrations
Verne, Jules. Michael Strogoff, The Courier of the Czar. Sampson Low, London (1877). Translated into English by William Henry George Kingston the popular boys writer. with 83 woodcut illustrations and plates after or by C. H. Barbant
Verne, Jules. The Child of the Cavern or Strange Doings Underground. Sampson Low, Marsten, Searle, and Riverton, London (1877). First UK edition
Verne, Jules. Dick Sand. George Munro (1878). First American edition
Verne, Jules. Hector Servadac or the Career of a Comet. Sampson Low, Marston, Searle and Rivington, London (1878). First British edition
Verne, Jules. Hector Servadac or the Career of a Comet. Scribner, Armstrong , New York (1878). Translated by Ellen E. Frewer;
Verne, Jules. Off on a Comet. Claxton Remsen and Hafffelfinger, Philadelphia (1878). First American edition
Verne, Jules. Dick Sands the Boy Captain. Sampson Low, London (1879). First UK edition
Verne, Jules. The Begum's Fortune. Sampson Low, London (1880). First UK edition
Verne, Jules. The Tribulations of a Chinaman in China. Lee and Shepard, Boston (1880). Translated by Virginia Champlin
Verne, Jules. The Giant Raft. Sampson Low, Marston, Searle and Rivington (1881). translated by W J Gordon; 2 volumes
Verne, Jules. The Green Ray. Sampson Low, Marston, Searle and Rivington, London (1883). Translated from the French by Mary de Hauteville;
Verne, Jules. Mathias Sandorf. J. Hetzel et Cie, Paris (1885). 111 illustrations and one map by Leon Bennett
Verne, Jules. Robur le Conquerant. Herzel, Paris (1886).
Verne, Jules. The Archipelago of Fire. Sampson Low, Marsten, Searle, and Riverton, London (1886). First UK edition
Verne, Jules. Ticket No. 9672. M. A. Donohue, Chicago (1886). Translated from the French by Laura E Kendall;
Verne, Jules. Nord contre Sud. Hetzel, Paris (1887). 85 engravings by L. Benett.
Verne, Jules. Mathias Sandorf. Sampson Low, Marston, Searle and Rivington (1888).
Verne, Jules. North Against South. Sampson Low, Marston, Searle and Rivington, London (1888). British First Edition
Verne, Jules. The Archipelago on Fire. Sampson Low, Marston, Searle and Rivington, London (1888). b/w frontis and 5 other illustrations by Benett
Verne, Jules. The Child of the Cavern or Strange Doings Underground. Sampson Low, Marston, Searle and Rivington, London (1888). b/w frontis and 9 other illustrations by Ferat. Translated into English by W.H.G. Kingston
Verne, Jules. The Flight to France or the Memoirs of a Dragoon. Sampson Low, Marston. London, London (1888). illustrated with thirty two full page drawings by Roux
Verne, Jules. Caesar Cascabel. Cassell Publishing, New York (1890). Translated from the French by A. Estoclet; Illustrated by George Roux
Verne, Jules. The Lottery Ticket. Sampson Low Marston , London (1890).
Verne, Jules. Topsy-Turvy.. J. S. Ogilvie, Publisher, New York (1890). This translation differs from the British edition published by Sampson Low as does the number of chapters (twenty-one, as in the original French edition, versus twenty).
Verne, Jules. Claudius Bombarnac. Le Chateau des Carpathes. Hetzel, Paris (1892).
Verne, Jules. Mistress Branican.. Sampson Low, Marston , London (1892). Full calf prize binding by Macniven and Wallace, Edinburgh
Verne, Jules. The Castle of the Carpathians. The Merriam Co, New York (1894). First American edition
Verne, Jules. Captain Antifer. Fenno, New York (1895). First American edition
Verne, Jules. Mistress Branican [The Mystery of the Franklin]. Sampson Low, Marston, London (1895). Illustrated by L. Benett.
Verne, Jules. Floating Island or The Pearl of the Pacific. Sampson Low, Marston , London (1896). Seventy-nine full page steel engravings
Verne, Jules. Clovis Dardentor. Sampson Low, Marston , London (1897). First UK edition
Verne, Jules. An Antarctic Mystery. Sampson Low, Marston , London (1898). Translated my Mrs. Cashel Hoey
Verne, Jules. An Antarctic Mystery. J. B. Lippott, Philadelphia (1899). First American edition; Woodcut-engraved frontis, woodcut-engraved lozenge illustration on title, 16 woodcut-engraved plates.
Verne, Jules. The Will of an Eccentric. Sampson Low, London (1900). First English deluxe edition
Verne, Jules. Cinq Semaines en Ballon. Hetzel, Paris (1903). First edition. First binding with publisher's monogram in blind on rear cover.
Verne, Jules. L'Invasion de la Mer. Hetzel, Paris (1905).
Verne, Jules. Le Volcan d'Or. Hetzel, Paris (1906).
Verne, Jules. L'Agence Thompson. Hetzel, Paris (1907).
Verne, Jules. The Chase of the Golden Meteor. Grant Richards (1909). Translated by Frederick Lawton; Twenty-four black and white plates by George Roux
Verne, Jules. The Works. Parke New York (1911). 600 copies; 15 volumes;
Verne, Jules. The Master of the World. Sampson Low, Marston , London (1914). 30 black and white plates by Georges Roux
Verne, Jules. The Castaways of the Flag : The Final Adventures of the Swiss Family Robinson. G. Howard Watt, New York (1924). Illustrated with coloured frontispiece and black and white plates by H. C. Murphy; this book is a sequel toTheir Island Home,
Verne, Jules. Their Island Home. G. Howard Watt, New York (1924). Frontispiece by H. C. Murphy