# Is "Seascape" by Edward Albee a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Seascape by Edward Albee (Atheneum, 1975) is identified by: Black cloth, gilt spine lettering with author's name embossed on the front board, teal topstain, dust jacket; Atheneum, New York, 1975. The US Atheneum edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Black cloth, gilt spine lettering with author's name embossed on the front board, teal topstain, dust jacket
- Atheneum, New York, 1975
- Winner of the 1975 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
- First edition states 'First Edition' on the copyright page
- Publisher imprint reads Atheneum
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Edward Albee |
| Publisher | Atheneum |
| Year | 1975 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Black cloth, gilt spine lettering with author's name embossed on the front board, teal… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Black cloth, gilt spine lettering with author's name embossed on the front board, teal topstain, dust jacket; Atheneum, New York, 1975. Winner of the 1975 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. First edition states 'First Edition' on the copyright page.

## Is this the true first?
The US Atheneum edition is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club copies lack the price on the dust-jacket flap and the blind embossing on the front board, and carry no 'First Edition' statement.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Seascape* by Edward Albee a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/seascape
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.