The points of issue
Self-published first edition of about 795 bound copies; the earliest binding (Blanck-BAL Binding State A) is dark green cloth with a triple-ruled gilt border and blind-stamped floral ornaments, the title in gilt with gilt-rayed lettering, marbled endpapers and gilt edges. Quarto, about 95 pages, twelve untitled poems preceded by a prose preface; no author name on the title page (Whitman is named only within the text). Frontispiece is the engraved 'carpenter' portrait of Whitman in laborer's dress, by Samuel Hollyer after a Gabriel Harrison daguerreotype. Frontispiece State A is printed on heavy paper; State B is on thin paper mounted to a heavier sheet.
Is this the true first?
US true first, self-published 1855, sheets printed at Andrew Rome's Brooklyn shop. The elaborate gilt-stamped green cloth (Binding State A) with the heavy-paper frontispiece (State A) represents the earliest issue. Distinct later editions (1856, 1860 Thayer & Eldridge, 1867, 1871-72, 1881-82, and the 1891-92 Deathbed edition) are collected separately.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Facsimiles exist; the genuine 1855 has the Rome-printed quarto sheets, the gilt-decorated green cloth, and the inserted Hollyer carpenter-portrait frontispiece. Facsimiles lack the period paper, binding, and engraved-plate states.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Leaves of Grass (1855 first edition) a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Self-published first edition of about 795 bound copies; the earliest binding (Blanck-BAL Binding State A) is dark green cloth with a triple-ruled gilt border and blind-stamped floral ornaments, the title in gilt with gilt-rayed lettering, marbled endpapers and gilt edges. Quarto, about 95 pages, twelve untitled poems preceded by a prose preface; no author name on the title page (Whitman is named only within the text). Frontispiece is the engraved 'carpenter' portrait of Whitman in laborer's dress, by Samuel Hollyer after a Gabriel Harrison daguerreotype. Fr
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. US true first, self-published 1855, sheets printed at Andrew Rome's Brooklyn shop. The elaborate gilt-stamped green cloth (Binding State A) with the heavy-paper frontispiece (State A) represents the earliest issue. Distinct later editions (1856, 1860 Thayer & Eldridge, 1867, 1871-72, 1881-82, and th
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Facsimiles exist; the genuine 1855 has the Rome-printed quarto sheets, the gilt-decorated green cloth, and the inserted Hollyer carpenter-portrait frontispiece. Facsimiles lack the period paper, binding, and engraved-plate states.
I have a first edition of Leaves of Grass (1855 first 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.