# Is "Oak and Ivy" by Paul Laurence Dunbar a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Oak and Ivy by Paul Laurence Dunbar (United Brethren Publishing House, 1893) is identified by: Dunbar's first book, which he personally subsidized, was printed by the United Brethren Publishing House of Dayton, Ohio, in a run of about 500 copies in 1893.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Dunbar's first book, which he personally subsidized, was printed by the United Brethren Publishing House of Dayton, Ohio, in a run of about 500 copies in 1893
- It is a slim octavo of 62 pages containing 56 poems divided into an 'Oak' section of poems in standard English and an 'Ivy' section of dialect verse
- Original copies are recorded bound in russet, gray, or blue cloth with no established priority among the colors, with gilt-decorated boards and patterned endpapers
- Publisher imprint reads United Brethren Publishing House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Paul Laurence Dunbar |
| Publisher | United Brethren Publishing House |
| Year | 1893 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Dunbar's first book, which he personally subsidized, was printed by the United Brethren Publishing House of Dayton, Ohio, in a run of about… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Dunbar's first book, which he personally subsidized, was printed by the United Brethren Publishing House of Dayton, Ohio, in a run of about 500 copies in 1893. It is a slim octavo of 62 pages containing 56 poems divided into an 'Oak' section of poems in standard English and an 'Ivy' section of dialect verse. Original copies are recorded bound in russet, gray, or blue cloth with no established priority among the colors, with gilt-decorated boards and patterned endpapers.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Oak and Ivy* by Paul Laurence Dunbar a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/oak-and-ivy
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.