The points of issue
True first: The Ovid Press, London, completed April 1920; limited to 200 numbered copies (15 on Japan vellum numbered 1-15 and not for sale, 20 signed copies numbered 16-35, and 165 unsigned copies numbered 36-200). Printed and published by John Rodker at his Ovid Press, with woodcut initials by Edward Wadsworth. Identified by the Ovid Press colophon and limitation statement.
Is this the true first?
The Ovid Press edition (London, 1920) is the true first; there was no contemporaneous American edition.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition. Later collected appearances of the Mauberley sequence carry different imprints.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Hugh Selwyn Mauberley a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: True first: The Ovid Press, London, completed April 1920; limited to 200 numbered copies (15 on Japan vellum numbered 1-15 and not for sale, 20 signed copies numbered 16-35, and 165 unsigned copies numbered 36-200). Printed and published by John Rodker at his Ovid Press, with woodcut initials by Edward Wadsworth. Identified by the Ovid Press colophon and limitation statement.
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. The Ovid Press edition (London, 1920) is the true first; there was no contemporaneous American edition.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book club edition. Later collected appearances of the Mauberley sequence carry different imprints.
I have a first edition of Hugh Selwyn Mauberley — 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.