# Is "Charlotte's Web" by E. B. White (illus. Garth Williams) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Charlotte's Web by E. B. White (illus. Garth Williams) (Harper & Brothers, 1952) is identified by: First printing carries the Harper code 'I-B' at the foot of the copyright page: in the Harper & Brothers code the first letter is the month (A=Jan. The US Harper & Brothers edition (published October 15, 1952) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing carries the Harper code 'I-B' at the foot of the copyright page: in the Harper & Brothers code the first letter is the month (A=Jan... H=Aug, I=Sept, K=Oct — the letter J is skipped) and the second is the year (B=1952), so 'I-B' = September 1952. 'First Edition' is also stated on the copyright page above the code
- Because Harper could retain the 'First Edition' wording while advancing the code on later printings, the I-B code — not the words alone — is the reliable first-printing point
- First-issue dust jacket: price present on the front flap (later jackets carry a raised price) and the rear panel advertises E. B. White's earlier Stuart Little
- Garth Williams's pictorial jacket bears no Newbery seal (the book was named a Newbery Honor only in 1953, after publication)
- Publisher imprint reads Harper & Brothers
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | E. B. White (illus. Garth Williams) |
| Publisher | Harper & Brothers |
| Year | 1952 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | First printing carries the Harper code 'I-B' at the foot of the copyright page: in the Harper & Brothers code the first letter is the month… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing carries the Harper code 'I-B' at the foot of the copyright page: in the Harper & Brothers code the first letter is the month (A=Jan... H=Aug, I=Sept, K=Oct — the letter J is skipped) and the second is the year (B=1952), so 'I-B' = September 1952. 'First Edition' is also stated on the copyright page above the code. Because Harper could retain the 'First Edition' wording while advancing the code on later printings, the I-B code — not the words alone — is the reliable first-printing point. First-issue dust jacket: price present on the front flap (later jackets carry a raised price) and the rear panel advertises E. B. White's earlier Stuart Little. Garth Williams's pictorial jacket bears no Newbery seal (the book was named a Newbery Honor only in 1953, after publication).

## Is this the true first?
The US Harper & Brothers edition (published October 15, 1952) is the true first. The UK Hamish Hamilton edition also appeared in 1952 but follows the American issue. Identify the first printing by the 'I-B' (September 1952) copyright-page code, not by the 'First Edition' slug alone.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions read 'Book Club Edition' on the front dust-jacket flap, carry NO two-letter Harper code on the copyright page, and show no price on the jacket; they are printed on bulkier, lower-grade paper and often bear the small blind-stamped dot on the rear board typical of club bindings.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Charlotte's Web* by E. B. White (illus. Garth Williams) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/charlottes-web
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.