# Is "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison (Random House, 1952) is identified by: Random House first edition with 'FIRST EDITION' stated at the top of the copyright page and no later-printing notice. US Random House (1952) is the true first; the UK Gollancz edition (1953) is later.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Random House first edition with 'FIRST EDITION' stated at the top of the copyright page and no later-printing notice
- Bound in grey cloth; beneath the jacket the Random House boards carry a printed illustration across the top half and spine
- In the first-issue pictorial dust jacket designed by E. McKnight Kauffer, with a photographic portrait of Ellison by Gordon Parks on the rear panel, and the original printed price at the top right of the inside front flap
- Ellison's first novel and only novel published in his lifetime
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ralph Ellison |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1952 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Random House first edition with 'FIRST EDITION' stated at the top of the copyright page and no later-printing notice |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Random House first edition with 'FIRST EDITION' stated at the top of the copyright page and no later-printing notice. Bound in grey cloth; beneath the jacket the Random House boards carry a printed illustration across the top half and spine. In the first-issue pictorial dust jacket designed by E. McKnight Kauffer, with a photographic portrait of Ellison by Gordon Parks on the rear panel, and the original printed price at the top right of the inside front flap. Ellison's first novel and only novel published in his lifetime.

## Is this the true first?
US Random House (1952) is the true first; the UK Gollancz edition (1953) is later. The stated 'FIRST EDITION' at the top of the copyright page is the key point.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The book-club edition omits the stated 'FIRST EDITION', carries a blind-stamp on the rear board, and is printed on bulkier paper.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Invisible Man* by Ralph Ellison a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/invisible-man
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.