Publisher's proof sheets. Mixed sizes. Initial pages, numbered pp. 27–64, are octavo page proofs with running title "Kim O'Rishti", thereafter long galleys (380 x 255 mm), of 19 four-page gatherings, text printed in two columns per page, columns numbered 57–202, with one gathering (columns 65–72) duplicated but with some differing corrections. Intermittent blue stamp of Clark printers under right text columns of galleys and right corner of page proofs. The page proofs correspond to pp. 27–97 and the galleys correspond to pp. 129–413 (the end) of the first English edition in book form. Extensive corrections, emendations and additions by Kipling in ink throughout every page, totalling over 3000 changes. Many of the changes are minor corrections to single words, but there are frequent examples of whole sections being replaced or added in the margins. The verses, which appear as chapter headers in the book, are here added in holograph above the chapter numbers. Some minor small creases or closed marginal tears and splits to folds to galleys and proofs, never affecting text or corrections. Housed in chemise and quarter morocco slipcase.

Rudyard Kipling's fully corrected proofs of Kim, used for both the first London book publication and subsequently for the second, corrected American edition. These proof sheets represent the authoritative complete state of the text for book publication.
Kipling worked on what most critics agree is his best novel for seven years, his excitement growing as at last he neared completion of the manuscript for what the author and his publisher's intended to be a major publishing event. Kipling enjoyed a close personal friendship with his American publisher, Frank Nelson Doubleday, whom he had dubbed "Effendi". In late 1899 he wrote enthusiastically to Doubleday of "finally licking Kim into shape." Serial publication began soon after, with McClure's running the instalments from December 1900 to October 1901 in the US and Cassell's Magazine in England from January to November 1901.
Kipling's original intention had been to publish in book form in autumn 1900, but this had to be postponed to allow serial publication to be completed. Meanwhile for publication in book form, Macmillan and Company of London, Kipling's usual publisher, employed R. and R. Clark of Edinburgh as printers, who supplied sets of printed proofs to the author. The galley proofs here have Clark's stamps, variously date-stamped 20–28 August [19]00.
Kipling corrected one set of these proofs and sent them to Doubleday for the first American edition, published by Doubleday, Page & Company on 1 October 1901. That first set of proof sheets sent to Doubleday is now in the Houghton Library at Harvard, a gift from Kipling bibliographer Flora Livingston. They are described by David Alan Richards as "corrected by Kipling in red ink, consisting of 96 pages of page proofs and the balance being galley proofs, each stamped "[date] Aug 00 R. & R. Clark Printers, Brandon St., Edinburgh". The page proofs are date-stamped variously 15–17 August 1900, and the galley proofs (numbered in columns 49–207, and printed in double columns on one side of the leaf) date-stamped variously 20–28 August 1900. The text is that of the periodicals, the running-head line is 'Kim o' the Rishti' (the story's original title), and the verse headings have all been stricken through and those used in this First (American) Edition substituted by the author in Chapters VIII and XIII. Except for the title, the First (American) Edition follows exactly the corrected text of this proof."
The present set of proofs mostly conforms to Richards's description, except that here there are only page proofs present for pages 27–96, while the galley proofs here are numbered in columns 57–207. The galleys from column 121 to the end have the shortened running headline "Kim". One galley is marked "Queried Proof" at head and all but one of the galleys mostly marked in ink at top left "Doubleday" with a manuscript trigram. Especially interesting here is the presence of a duplicate sheet for the galley containing columns 65–72, the only galley not marked "Doubleday". This galley has "Proof wired for yesterday" written in blue pencil at the top (not in Kipling's hand), and it contains the exact text of the first English edition (and second American edition) with final corrections in Kipling's hand. It does not have the R. & R. Clark printer's inkstamp, even though it is from the same setting of type; apparently Kipling ordered another sheet of that galley to be run off to send his final corrections to Doubleday.
In light of the present set of proofs, it becomes clear that the Houghton proofs are comparatively lightly corrected, and that the first American edition was in effect rushed into print before Kipling had made his final corrections. These proofs demonstrate that Kipling continued to work on his retained copy of the same August 1900 galleys, making corrections that were incorporated into the text of the first English edition, which was registered for copyright by Macmillan and Co. on 17 October 1901, and then in turn used for the second American edition, published days later by Doubleday on 23 October. The most noticeable change is that the first American edition carried only the verse chapter headings for chapters VIII and XIII, whereas they were present for all chapters in both the English serial issue and the first English edition, but there are many other changes, especially in the chapters V to X.
This is a remarkable insight into Kipling's working method for his best novel, showing the editorial process working across the Atlantic and more than one set of carefully corrected proofs. While single poems of Kipling have occasionally come to market in corrected proofs, nothing of this substance has appeared in commerce to date.

PROVENANCE: Frank Nelson Doubleday (1862-1934) Kipling's friend and American publisher; by family descent.

Stock ID: 33534