The points of issue
First edition published 1929, Macmillan (New York); first printing October 1929. First printing: title-page dated 1929 with no list of later printings on the copyright-page verso. Bound in full decorated/patterned cloth over boards with a small pictorial paper onlay (label) on the front board; color frontispiece plus additional illustrations by Dorothy P. Lathrop (about 23 illustrations, including color). Original dust jacket mirrors the board design and is scarce.
Is this the true first?
US true first. Newbery Medal 1930.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Macmillan later printings add printing-history lines to the copyright page; the book was reprinted twice in December 1929, so a December reprint notice or any later-printing line means it is not the first. Do not confuse with the 1999 'Rachel Field's Hitty' adaptation by Rosemary Wells, a different book.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Hitty, Her First Hundred Years a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition published 1929, Macmillan (New York); first printing October 1929. First printing: title-page dated 1929 with no list of later printings on the copyright-page verso. Bound in full decorated/patterned cloth over boards with a small pictorial paper onlay (label) on the front board; color frontispiece plus additional illustrations by Dorothy P. Lathrop (about 23 illustrations, including color). Original dust jacket mirrors the board design and is scarce.
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 true first. Newbery Medal 1930.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Macmillan later printings add printing-history lines to the copyright page; the book was reprinted twice in December 1929, so a December reprint notice or any later-printing line means it is not the first. Do not confuse with the 1999 'Rachel Field's Hitty' adaptation by Rosemary Wells, a different book.
I have a first edition of Hitty, Her First Hundred Years — 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.