The points of issue
First English-language edition: Crown Publishers, New York, 1961; thick quarto encyclopedia, an Anglo-American translation of the 1938 French text with added food-science entries and English/American measurements. Copyright page without later-printing data. Blue cloth binding with a row of fleurs-de-lis and white inlay lettering on the front board and spine.
Is this the true first?
The true first of the WORK is the French Éditions Larousse edition (Paris, 1938), edited by Prosper Montagné with Dr. Alfred Gottschalk. The 1961 Crown is the first English-language edition (a 'first thus') and is the earliest English appearance — there is no simultaneous 1961 UK edition. The London Paul Hamlyn issue appeared in 1963 (reported as an early impression of the first English edition), so it does not share precedence. Distinguish from the heavily revised 1988 and later English editions.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Numerous later English reprints and the 1988 and subsequent revised editions are not the 1961 first English. The 1938 French first is a separate, far scarcer collectible.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Larousse Gastronomique (first English-language edition) a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First English-language edition: Crown Publishers, New York, 1961; thick quarto encyclopedia, an Anglo-American translation of the 1938 French text with added food-science entries and English/American measurements. Copyright page without later-printing data. Blue cloth binding with a row of fleurs-de-lis and white inlay lettering on the front board and spine.
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 true first of the WORK is the French Éditions Larousse edition (Paris, 1938), edited by Prosper Montagné with Dr. Alfred Gottschalk. The 1961 Crown is the first English-language edition (a 'first thus') and is the earliest English appearance — there is no simultaneous 1961 UK edition. The London
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Numerous later English reprints and the 1988 and subsequent revised editions are not the 1961 first English. The 1938 French first is a separate, far scarcer collectible.
I have a first edition of Larousse Gastronomique (first English-language edition) — 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.