The points of issue
First Edition stated on the copyright page (Doubleday convention). Slim prose-poem essay in grey paper-covered boards with black cloth backstrip, titles stamped in silver on the spine, grey top stain; dust jacket priced 1.50.
Is this the true first?
US first edition (Doubleday, 1951).
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later editions from other publishers, including the University of Chicago Press, are reprints; the Doubleday first printing carries the stated First Edition on the copyright page, removed on later printings.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Chicago: City on the Make a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First Edition stated on the copyright page (Doubleday convention). Slim prose-poem essay in grey paper-covered boards with black cloth backstrip, titles stamped in silver on the spine, grey top stain; dust jacket priced 1.50.
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 first edition (Doubleday, 1951).
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later editions from other publishers, including the University of Chicago Press, are reprints; the Doubleday first printing carries the stated First Edition on the copyright page, removed on later printings.
I have a first edition of Chicago: City on the Make — 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.