# Is "Butterfield 8" by John O'Hara a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Butterfield 8 by John O'Hara (Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1935) is identified by: "First Edition" stated on the copyright page. The US Harcourt, Brace printing is the true first; the UK Cresset Press edition follows later (recorded at 1951, not 1936).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- "First Edition" stated on the copyright page
- Black varnished (glazed) cloth lettered in gilt on the spine
- Dust jacket with its printed price
- Properly styled "BUtterfield 8" after the telephone exchange
- Publisher imprint reads Harcourt, Brace and Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John O'Hara |
| Publisher | Harcourt, Brace and Company |
| Year | 1935 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | "First Edition" stated on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
"First Edition" stated on the copyright page. Black varnished (glazed) cloth lettered in gilt on the spine; 310pp. Dust jacket with its printed price. Properly styled "BUtterfield 8" after the telephone exchange.

## Is this the true first?
The US Harcourt, Brace printing is the true first; the UK Cresset Press edition follows later (recorded at 1951, not 1936).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Reprints lack the "First Edition" line; a later Grosset & Dunlap photoplay/tie-in reprint exists.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Butterfield 8* by John O'Hara a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/butterfield-8
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.