# Is "Local Color" by Truman Capote a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Local Color by Truman Capote (Random House, 1950) is identified by: "FIRST PRINTING" stated on the copyright page; a collection of illustrated travel impressions with photographs by Cecil Beaton, Cartier-Bresson and others. US first edition; first appearance in book form of this nonfiction collection.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- "FIRST PRINTING" stated on the copyright page; a collection of illustrated travel impressions with photographs by Cecil Beaton, Cartier-Bresson and others
- First-issue jacket priced on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Truman Capote |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1950 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | "FIRST PRINTING" stated on the copyright page; a collection of illustrated travel impressions with photographs by Cecil Beaton… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
"FIRST PRINTING" stated on the copyright page; a collection of illustrated travel impressions with photographs by Cecil Beaton, Cartier-Bresson and others. First-issue jacket priced on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
US first edition; first appearance in book form of this nonfiction collection.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Printings lacking the stated "FIRST PRINTING" are not the true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Local Color* by Truman Capote a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/local-color
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.