The points of issue
Stevens's first book; Knopf, 1923. First binding: 500 copies in quarter blue buckram with paper-covered patterned (Curwen-pattern, red/blue/yellow/white) boards, yellow paper spine label printed in red, top edge stained. Later binding states use plain blue cloth with the paper spine label. The patterned-boards first binding is the desirable issue.
Is this the true first?
US Knopf 1923 is the true first; no prior UK edition. The distinguished first binding (patterned boards, yellow/red spine label) is the wanted state.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club. The 1931 second edition (revised, adds and drops poems) and the later plain blue-cloth binding states are distinguished from the 1923 first by binding and imprint date.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Harmonium a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Stevens's first book; Knopf, 1923. First binding: 500 copies in quarter blue buckram with paper-covered patterned (Curwen-pattern, red/blue/yellow/white) boards, yellow paper spine label printed in red, top edge stained. Later binding states use plain blue cloth with the paper spine label. The patterned-boards first binding is the desirable issue.
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 Knopf 1923 is the true first; no prior UK edition. The distinguished first binding (patterned boards, yellow/red spine label) is the wanted state.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book club. The 1931 second edition (revised, adds and drops poems) and the later plain blue-cloth binding states are distinguished from the 1923 first by binding and imprint date.
I have a first edition of Harmonium — 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.