The points of issue
First state has the textual error on page 161, line 17: 'Stella' printed for 'Blanche.' Issued in pink pictorial boards with Alvin Lustig's celebrated pink pictorial dust jacket echoing the board design; jacket with the printed price intact. 171 pp., with frontispiece. No statement of later printing on the copyright page.
Is this the true first?
US New Directions 1947 is the true first (precedes the UK). No separate trade signed/limited issue exists; signed copies are author-inscribed trade copies. Later printings correct the page 161 error.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Not a book-club target. Reprints (second printing onward) state the printing on the copyright page and lack the page 161 error. The pink boards and Lustig jacket paired with the uncorrected page 161 Stella/Blanche point are the key identifiers.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of A Streetcar Named Desire a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First state has the textual error on page 161, line 17: 'Stella' printed for 'Blanche.' Issued in pink pictorial boards with Alvin Lustig's celebrated pink pictorial dust jacket echoing the board design; jacket with the printed price intact. 171 pp., with frontispiece. No statement of later printing on the copyright page.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. US New Directions 1947 is the true first (precedes the UK). No separate trade signed/limited issue exists; signed copies are author-inscribed trade copies. Later printings correct the page 161 error.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Not a book-club target. Reprints (second printing onward) state the printing on the copyright page and lack the page 161 error. The pink boards and Lustig jacket paired with the uncorrected page 161 Stella/Blanche point are the key identifiers.
I have a first edition of A Streetcar Named Desire — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.