The points of issue
Black cloth-covered boards stamped on spine in silver; a front block of 31 Walker Evans photographs (not 32), unpaginated; 'First Printing' indicated on the copyright page per Houghton Mifflin practice; first-issue photo-illustrated dust jacket priced 3.50. Genuinely scarce (small printing of roughly 2,400 copies, only about 600 sold before remaindering).
Is this the true first?
US Houghton Mifflin (Boston) true first, 1941. The 1960 expanded reissue is a 'first thus.'
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The common version is the 1960 reissue; the 1941 first is genuinely scarce. Distinguish carefully by the 31-photograph block, the silver-stamped black cloth, and the 'First Printing' copyright-page statement.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Let Us Now Praise Famous Men a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Black cloth-covered boards stamped on spine in silver; a front block of 31 Walker Evans photographs (not 32), unpaginated; 'First Printing' indicated on the copyright page per Houghton Mifflin practice; first-issue photo-illustrated dust jacket priced 3.50. Genuinely scarce (small printing of roughly 2,400 copies, only about 600 sold before remaindering).
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 Houghton Mifflin (Boston) true first, 1941. The 1960 expanded reissue is a 'first thus.'
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
The common version is the 1960 reissue; the 1941 first is genuinely scarce. Distinguish carefully by the 31-photograph block, the silver-stamped black cloth, and the 'First Printing' copyright-page statement.
I have a first edition of Let Us Now Praise Famous Men — 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.