The points of issue
True first is the Black Sun Press (Paris) limited edition, 1930, with three Walker Evans photogravures: 50 copies on Japan vellum signed by Crane and 200 numbered copies on Holland Van Gelder paper. The New York Liveright trade edition followed in 1930 as the first American trade issue (dark blue cloth, jacket with a Walker Evans photograph).
Is this the true first?
Bibliographic crux: the Black Sun Press Paris limited (with the three Walker Evans photographs) is the true first; the Liveright New York edition is the first trade and first American issue. The Evans plates marked his debut as a published photographer.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition; the crux is the Black Sun Press limited (true first, Evans photogravures) versus the Liveright trade first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Bridge a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: True first is the Black Sun Press (Paris) limited edition, 1930, with three Walker Evans photogravures: 50 copies on Japan vellum signed by Crane and 200 numbered copies on Holland Van Gelder paper. The New York Liveright trade edition followed in 1930 as the first American trade issue (dark blue cloth, jacket with a Walker Evans photograph).
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. Bibliographic crux: the Black Sun Press Paris limited (with the three Walker Evans photographs) is the true first; the Liveright New York edition is the first trade and first American issue. The Evans plates marked his debut as a published photographer.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition; the crux is the Black Sun Press limited (true first, Evans photogravures) versus the Liveright trade first.
I have a first edition of The Bridge — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.