# Is "Gas-House McGinty" by James T. Farrell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Gas-House McGinty by James T. Farrell (The Vanguard Press, 1933) is identified by: First printing, The Vanguard Press, New York, 1933, Farrell's second novel, with no later-printing statement on the copyright page. US first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing, The Vanguard Press, New York, 1933, Farrell's second novel, with no later-printing statement on the copyright page
- Octavo in the publisher's original cloth, issued in the original pictorial dust jacket; an unrestored example should retain the printed price on the jacket
- Publisher imprint reads The Vanguard Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James T. Farrell |
| Publisher | The Vanguard Press |
| Year | 1933 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing, The Vanguard Press, New York, 1933, Farrell's second novel, with no later-printing statement on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First printing, The Vanguard Press, New York, 1933, Farrell's second novel, with no later-printing statement on the copyright page. Octavo in the publisher's original cloth, issued in the original pictorial dust jacket; an unrestored example should retain the printed price on the jacket.

## Is this the true first?
US first edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings are stated on the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Gas-House McGinty* by James T. Farrell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/gas-house-mcginty
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.