The points of issue
Doubleday, Doran & Company imprint; copyright 1939. Per Doubleday convention, the first printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page. The large-format stone-lithograph picture book; pictorial paper-covered boards over cloth spine. A reported first-state textual point is an incorrect date given for the Emancipation Proclamation. The d'Aulaires reworked the artwork for later editions (acetate reproduction from the late 1950s), so the 1939 printing is the point of issue.
Is this the true first?
US true first is the 1939 Doubleday, Doran issue with the stated 'First Edition' copyright-page statement.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings carry the Caldecott seal (award 1940), use the 'Doubleday & Company' imprint, and reproduce the art from acetate rather than the original stone lithographs.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Abraham Lincoln a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Doubleday, Doran & Company imprint; copyright 1939. Per Doubleday convention, the first printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page. The large-format stone-lithograph picture book; pictorial paper-covered boards over cloth spine. A reported first-state textual point is an incorrect date given for the Emancipation Proclamation. The d'Aulaires reworked the artwork for later editions (acetate reproduction from the late 1950s), so the 1939 printing is the point of issue.
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 true first is the 1939 Doubleday, Doran issue with the stated 'First Edition' copyright-page statement.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings carry the Caldecott seal (award 1940), use the 'Doubleday & Company' imprint, and reproduce the art from acetate rather than the original stone lithographs.
I have a first edition of Abraham Lincoln — 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.