# Is "Complete Poems of Robert Frost 1949" by Robert Frost a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Complete Poems of Robert Frost 1949 by Robert Frost (Henry Holt, 1949) is identified by: The trade first printing is identified by the copyright-page statement 'Published, June, 1948'; later printings add subsequent dated printing lines (e.g. US Henry Holt is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The trade first printing is identified by the copyright-page statement 'Published, June, 1948'; later printings add subsequent dated printing lines (e.g. 'Second Printing, November, 1949')
- Note the volume is dated 1949 on the title but the trade was published in June 1948
- Separately, a signed limited edition of 1500 copies was issued as two large-octavo volumes, boxed, illustrated with wood engravings by Thomas W. Nason and designed by Bruce Rogers, signed on the colophon by the poet, illustrator, and designer
- Publisher imprint reads Henry Holt
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert Frost |
| Publisher | Henry Holt |
| Year | 1949 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The trade first printing is identified by the copyright-page statement 'Published, June… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The trade first printing is identified by the copyright-page statement 'Published, June, 1948'; later printings add subsequent dated printing lines (e.g. 'Second Printing, November, 1949'). Note the volume is dated 1949 on the title but the trade was published in June 1948. Separately, a signed limited edition of 1500 copies was issued as two large-octavo volumes, boxed, illustrated with wood engravings by Thomas W. Nason and designed by Bruce Rogers, signed on the colophon by the poet, illustrator, and designer.

## Is this the true first?
US Henry Holt is the true first. The boxed two-volume signed limited of 1500 copies (Rogers/Nason) is the premium. Do not confuse it with the separate 1950 Limited Editions Club two-volume set (also 1500 copies).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition relevant to the trade first; the 1950 Limited Editions Club issue is a distinct later production.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Complete Poems of Robert Frost 1949* by Robert Frost a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/complete-poems-of-robert-frost-1949
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.