The points of issue
First edition 1987, Clarion Books, a Houghton Mifflin imprint (New York/Boston). The first printing carries a complete descending number line ending in 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1) on the copyright page, per the Houghton Mifflin practice in use since the 1970s. Photo-illustrated; pictorial cloth; first-state jacket without the Newbery Medal seal.
Is this the true first?
US true first. Newbery Medal 1988; the first nonfiction title to win in roughly three decades.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A number line whose lowest number is not 1 indicates a later printing. Book-club editions typically lack a jacket price; post-award jacket states add the Newbery seal.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Lincoln: A Photobiography a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition 1987, Clarion Books, a Houghton Mifflin imprint (New York/Boston). The first printing carries a complete descending number line ending in 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1) on the copyright page, per the Houghton Mifflin practice in use since the 1970s. Photo-illustrated; pictorial cloth; first-state jacket without the Newbery Medal seal.
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. Newbery Medal 1988; the first nonfiction title to win in roughly three decades.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
A number line whose lowest number is not 1 indicates a later printing. Book-club editions typically lack a jacket price; post-award jacket states add the Newbery seal.
I have a first edition of Lincoln: A Photobiography — 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.