# Is "The Bride Wore Black" by Cornell Woolrich a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Bride Wore Black by Cornell Woolrich (Simon & Schuster, 1940) is identified by: First edition in publisher's blue cloth, titling and decoration stamped in gilt on spine and front board, 'Inner Sanctum' device gilt-stamped on the front board; navy-blue top-stain. US Simon & Schuster is the first edition; Woolrich's first full-length suspense novel and the first of his 'Black' series.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition in publisher's blue cloth, titling and decoration stamped in gilt on spine and front board, 'Inner Sanctum' device gilt-stamped on the front board; navy-blue top-stain
- Pagination viii, 312
- The first-issue dust jacket is the scarce element
- A Haycraft-Queen Cornerstone title
- Publisher imprint reads Simon & Schuster
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Cornell Woolrich |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
| Year | 1940 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition in publisher's blue cloth, titling and decoration stamped in gilt on spine and front board, 'Inner Sanctum' device… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition in publisher's blue cloth, titling and decoration stamped in gilt on spine and front board, 'Inner Sanctum' device gilt-stamped on the front board; navy-blue top-stain. Pagination viii, 312. The first-issue dust jacket is the scarce element. A Haycraft-Queen Cornerstone title.

## Is this the true first?
US Simon & Schuster is the first edition; Woolrich's first full-length suspense novel and the first of his 'Black' series. Basis for Truffaut's 1968 film.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later reprints (Books Inc., Mercury/Jonathan, and paperback reissues) lack the blue cloth and gilt Inner Sanctum device, omit the navy top-stain, and carry reprint pricing or imprints.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Bride Wore Black* by Cornell Woolrich a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-bride-wore-black
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.