Is My Howl and Other Poems a First Edition?

The points of issue

• First edition, first printing: City Lights Pocket Poets Series Number Four, one of 1,000 copies, printed in England at the Press of Villiers Publications, Holloway, London (the first two printings were both English-printed)
• Stapled black wrappers printed in grey, with the white printed paste-on label; the earliest printings have blank inside covers
• Two decisive first-issue points:
• the dedication page names 'Lucien Carr' (dropped from every later printing at Carr's request), and
• a period follows 'Harlem' on the rear wrapper
• The copyright page carries NO printing statement

How City Lights Books marked a first edition

• Later titles: copyright page either states 'First Edition' or simply shows no later-printing notice; modern titles add a descending number line (1 present = first).

Full City Lights Books first-edition guide →

How to verify your copy, step by step

1. Find the copyright page — the verso (back) of the title page.
2. Confirm the first-edition statement — look for “First Edition,” “First Printing,” or the publisher’s equivalent wording.
3. Check for a number line or dated printing — the lowest number present is the printing; a dated first printing with no later printings listed is the tell.
4. Rule out a book-club edition — a blind-stamp on the rear board or a jacket with no printed price marks a book-club copy.
5. Photograph four things — the front cover, spine, title page, and copyright page — the standard record for identification.

The dust jacket

For a collectible first edition the dust jacket matters as much as the book. Confirm the jacket is present and unclipped — the printed price should still be at the corner of the flap (a clipped corner or a price-less flap can indicate a book-club issue). First-state jackets can differ from later ones in the cover art, blurbs, or review quotations; where a specific first-state jacket point is known for this title it is noted above.

Binding & format

Where multiple bindings exist, the hardcover trade issue is usually (but not always) the precedence copy — confirm against the points above. Later printings often show cheaper cloth, thinner boards, or simplified spine stamping. A simultaneous signed or limited issue, when one exists, is a distinct state from the trade first.

Is this the true first?

City Lights 1956 (Pocket Poets 4) is the true first worldwide — there is no prior edition. The first two printings were printed in England by Villiers; U.S. Customs seized imported copies of the second printing, precipitating the obscenity prosecution (People v. Ferlinghetti, 1957) that made the book famous. Author-signed copies are especially prized.P-036425

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

Not a book-club book. Later printings state the printing ('Second Printing,' 'Third Printing,' etc.) on the copyright page, drop 'Lucien Carr' from the dedication, and from the third printing were produced in the U.S. A stated printing, a dedication lacking Lucien Carr, or a missing period after 'Harlem' marks a later issue. Note: the printed wrapper price is NOT a reliable discriminator among the early printings — rely on the dedication, the 'Harlem' period, and the presence/absence of a printing statement.P-036426

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of Howl and Other Poems a first edition?

A first edition of Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg (City Lights Books) is identified by: First edition, first printing: City Lights Pocket Poets Series Number Four, one of 1,000 copies, printed in England at the Press of Villiers Publications, Holloway, London (the first two printings were both English-printed).

How do I tell the first printing from a later one?

Check the copyright page. A stated first edition, a number line ending in 1, or a dated first printing with no later printings listed is the key. City Lights 1956 (Pocket Poets 4) is the true first worldwide — there is no prior edition.

Is the book-club edition the same as the first?

Not a book-club book. Later printings state the printing ('Second Printing,' 'Third Printing,' etc.) on the copyright page, drop 'Lucien Carr' from the dedication, and from the third printing were produced in the U.S. A stated printing, a dedication lacking Lucien Carr, or a missing period after 'Harlem' marks a later issue. Note: the printed wrapper price is NOT a reliable discriminator among the early printings — rely on the dedication, the 'Harlem' period, and the presence/absence of a printi

I have a first edition of Howl and Other Poems — what should I do?

First, document the copy: photograph the copyright page (the number line and any edition statement) and the dust-jacket flap — an unclipped, priced jacket matters. Confirm the points of issue above against your copy, and use the free First Edition Checker to decode the printing. To sell, the author’s collecting guide covers the market. And if you are clearing books in the Albuquerque area, the New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies are identified rather than discarded.

Glossary

First edition

Every copy printed from the first setting of type. Collectors usually want the first edition, first printing (the true first).

First printing / impression

A single press run from that setting. The first printing is the earliest and most desirable; later printings are still the first edition but not the true first.

Number line (printer's key)

A row of numbers on the copyright page (e.g. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). The lowest number present is the printing — a line including 1 marks a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2).

Points of issue

Specific physical details — a stated edition, a number line, a typo, a jacket state — that identify the true first printing.

Book-club edition (BCE)

A reprint made for a book club. Tells include a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board and a dust jacket with no printed price. Not the true first.

First thus

The first appearance of a particular version (first paperback, first illustrated, first U.S. printing) — a first of that kind, not the first edition of the work.