Walden
Walden is Henry David Thoreau's account of his years of simple living in a cabin by Walden Pond, first published by Ticknor and Fields in Boston on 9 August 1854. Thoreau's March 1854 contract set a first edition of 2,000 copies, which took five years to sell.
- Editions tracked
- 2
- First edition
- Ticknor and Fields, 1854
- First published
- Ticknor and Fields, Boston, 1854
- Worth
- Not yet valued
Which edition do you have?
First edition
- 1st Ticknor and Fields1854 Hardback Not yet valued Log in to want this
Later and other editions
- David Douglas1884 Hardback Not yet valued Log in to want this
We have not yet researched the issue points for this book. If you know how to tell the first from later printings, tell us and we will credit you once it is checked against a second source.
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More by Henry David Thoreau
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Know what you are looking at
How to Identify a First Edition
To identify a first edition, check that your copy is the first printing of the first edition. Read the copyright …
Read the guide →6 min readBook Condition Grading: Fine to Poor Explained
Book condition grading uses a six-step trade scale: Fine, Near Fine, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. Collectors grade the …
Read the guide →7 min readDust Jackets Explained: Why the Jacket Drives a Book's Value
For most books published since the 1920s, the original dust jacket carries a large share of the value, often most …
Read the guide →Frequently asked questions
Who published the first edition of Walden?
The first edition of Walden by Henry David Thoreau was published in Boston by Ticknor and Fields in 1854.
How many editions of Walden are there?
We track 2 editions of Walden, including 1 first edition. Each has its own page with how to identify it.
How can I tell if my copy of Walden is a first edition?
Check the title page and its reverse (the copyright page) against the edition: publisher, place and date should match, with no later printing or edition stated. Where we know the issue points, they are listed on the edition's page.
Where these facts come from
- Walden, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- 16 March 1854, Concord, Mass., The Walden Woods Project (walden.org)
- Walden, Wikidata (wikidata.org)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 17 October 2026.