# Is "Albuquerque: A Narrative History signed first" by Marc Simmons a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Albuquerque: A Narrative History signed first by Marc Simmons (UNM Press, 1982) is identified by: The true first edition is the University of New Mexico Press hardcover of 1982, a large volume of 443 pages, roughly ten and a quarter by seven and a quarter inches, illustrated with maps and photographs and issued in a dust jacket that carries the printed price on the flap. The first UNM Press hardcover of 1982 is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The true first edition is the University of New Mexico Press hardcover of 1982, a large volume of 443 pages, roughly ten and a quarter by seven and a quarter inches, illustrated with maps and photographs and issued in a dust jacket that carries the printed price on the flap
- The first printing states its status on the copyright page in the manner of UNM Press of the period; a genuinely signed first is inscribed or signed by Marc Simmons himself
- Confirm the 1982 date and the University of New Mexico Press imprint, and that no statement of a later printing appears on the copyright page
- Publisher imprint reads UNM Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Marc Simmons |
| Publisher | UNM Press |
| Year | 1982 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The true first edition is the University of New Mexico Press hardcover of 1982, a large volume of 443 pages, roughly ten and a quarter by… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The true first edition is the University of New Mexico Press hardcover of 1982, a large volume of 443 pages, roughly ten and a quarter by seven and a quarter inches, illustrated with maps and photographs and issued in a dust jacket that carries the printed price on the flap. The first printing states its status on the copyright page in the manner of UNM Press of the period; a genuinely signed first is inscribed or signed by Marc Simmons himself. Confirm the 1982 date and the University of New Mexico Press imprint, and that no statement of a later printing appears on the copyright page.

## Is this the true first?
The first UNM Press hardcover of 1982 is the true first edition. Signed copies verified by ABAA-member dealers carry the author's own signature; a signature alone does not change the printing, so the 1982 first-printing copyright-page state should still be present.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions and later printings reprint the text but are not the first edition and are far less collectible. When a hardcover and a simultaneous paperback exist (standard from the mid-1970s), the hardcover in dust jacket is the collector's first. Use the points above to be certain — see book-club edition vs. first edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Albuquerque: A Narrative History signed first* by Marc Simmons a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/albuquerque-a-narrative-history-signed-first
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.