The points of issue
First edition of Huxley's travel book on Central America (Guatemala and Mexico), in ochre cloth with gilt spine lettering, brown-tinted top edge, with map endpapers and photographic plates. A signed limited edition of about 210 numbered copies was also issued.
Is this the true first?
UK Chatto & Windus is the true first; the US Harper & Brothers edition also appeared in 1934. Confirm the Chatto imprint and 1934 dating.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue is a point here; note also that a signed limited issue exists alongside the ordinary trade printing.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Beyond the Mexique Bay a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition of Huxley's travel book on Central America (Guatemala and Mexico), in ochre cloth with gilt spine lettering, brown-tinted top edge, with map endpapers and photographic plates. A signed limited edition of about 210 numbered copies was also issued.
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. UK Chatto & Windus is the true first; the US Harper & Brothers edition also appeared in 1934. Confirm the Chatto imprint and 1934 dating.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club issue is a point here; note also that a signed limited issue exists alongside the ordinary trade printing.
I have a first edition of Beyond the Mexique Bay — 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.