# Is "Pictures of the Gone World" by Lawrence Ferlinghetti a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Pictures of the Gone World by Lawrence Ferlinghetti (City Lights Books / The Pocket Poets Series No. 1, 1955) is identified by: Pocket Poets Series No. City Lights US (1955) is the true first and the first title City Lights issued.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Pocket Poets Series No
- 1 — the inaugural volume of the series and the first book City Lights published, predating Howl (No
- The first printing was a letterpress edition of 500 copies containing 27 poems, in stapled/perfect-bound black printed wrappers with a yellow card wraparound printed in black, the price printed on the rear cover, and issued in a glassine dust wrapper
- First printing lacks any later-printing statement
- Publisher imprint reads City Lights Books / The Pocket Poets Series No. 1
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lawrence Ferlinghetti |
| Publisher | City Lights Books / The Pocket Poets Series No. 1 |
| Year | 1955 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Poetry |
| Key point | Pocket Poets Series No |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Pocket Poets Series No. 1 — the inaugural volume of the series and the first book City Lights published, predating Howl (No. 4). The first printing was a letterpress edition of 500 copies containing 27 poems, in stapled/perfect-bound black printed wrappers with a yellow card wraparound printed in black, the price printed on the rear cover, and issued in a glassine dust wrapper. First printing lacks any later-printing statement.

## Is this the true first?
City Lights US (1955) is the true first and the first title City Lights issued. As Pocket Poets No. 1 it is a foundational Beat-era imprint; the later (1995) expanded edition is 'first thus,' not the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Not a book club. Confirm Pocket Poets No. 1, the 27-poem contents, the printed price on the rear cover, and a first-printing copyright page (later printings are noted). The fragile glassine wrapper and clean, unfaded yellow wraparound distinguish an early first-printing copy.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Pictures of the Gone World* by Lawrence Ferlinghetti a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/pictures-of-the-gone-world
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.