The points of issue
First printing is the City Lights Pocket Poets Series Number Four in black-and-white printed wrappers; first issue has the price '75c' and the mimeographed/first-state points, with no statement of later printing and the early City Lights address. Limited to ~1,000 in the first printing.
Is this the true first?
City Lights 1956 (Pocket Poets 4) is the true first; the famous obscenity trial followed. First printing of ~1,000 in 75c wrappers is the landmark; Ginsberg-signed firsts are prized.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings note additional printings on the verso and change price/address; any 'second printing' or later statement, or a different price, indicates a later issue.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Howl and Other Poems a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First printing is the City Lights Pocket Poets Series Number Four in black-and-white printed wrappers; first issue has the price '75c' and the mimeographed/first-state points, with no statement of later printing and the early City Lights address. Limited to ~1,000 in the first printing.
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. City Lights 1956 (Pocket Poets 4) is the true first; the famous obscenity trial followed. First printing of ~1,000 in 75c wrappers is the landmark; Ginsberg-signed firsts are prized.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings note additional printings on the verso and change price/address; any 'second printing' or later statement, or a different price, indicates a later issue.
I have a first edition of Howl and Other Poems — 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.