# Is "Mornings in Mexico signed first" by D.H. Lawrence a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Mornings in Mexico signed first by D.H. Lawrence (Knopf, 1927) is identified by: The Knopf first American edition of Mornings in Mexico is dated 1927 on the title page with no statement of a later printing, which is correct for Knopf in this period. The London edition (Martin Secker) and the New York edition (Alfred A.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The Knopf first American edition of Mornings in Mexico is dated 1927 on the title page with no statement of a later printing, which is correct for Knopf in this period
- It is bound in publisher's decorated orange cloth, lettered and ornamented in green and black on the upper cover and spine, and carries the Borzoi colophon
- The essays were written out of Lawrence's time at the Kiowa Ranch near Taos and in Oaxaca
- A first-state example retains its pictorial dust jacket with the printed price present and unclipped
- Publisher imprint reads Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | D.H. Lawrence |
| Publisher | Knopf |
| Year | 1927 |
| True first | American edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The Knopf first American edition of Mornings in Mexico is dated 1927 on the title page with no statement of a later printing, which is… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The Knopf first American edition of Mornings in Mexico is dated 1927 on the title page with no statement of a later printing, which is correct for Knopf in this period. It is bound in publisher's decorated orange cloth, lettered and ornamented in green and black on the upper cover and spine, and carries the Borzoi colophon. The essays were written out of Lawrence's time at the Kiowa Ranch near Taos and in Oaxaca. A first-state example retains its pictorial dust jacket with the printed price present and unclipped.

## Is this the true first?
The London edition (Martin Secker) and the New York edition (Alfred A. Knopf) both appeared in 1927. The Secker edition is generally taken as the true first; the Knopf 1927 printing is the first American edition and is itself a genuine first of the American issue (Roberts A34).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions and later printings reprint the text but are not the first edition and are far less collectible. Borzoi colophon and “A Note on the Type” page authenticate genuine Knopf production rather than a book club reprint. Use the points above to be certain — see book-club edition vs. first edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Mornings in Mexico signed first* by D.H. Lawrence a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/mornings-in-mexico-signed-first
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.