# Is "The Doors of Perception" by Aldous Huxley a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Doors of Perception by Aldous Huxley (Harper & Brothers, 1954) is identified by: First edition of the mescaline essay, 1954, issued by Harper & Brothers in New York and by Chatto & Windus in London. The original record's claim that the UK Chatto edition precedes the US Harper edition is not supported.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition of the mescaline essay, 1954, issued by Harper & Brothers in New York and by Chatto & Windus in London
- The Harper New York edition is the one generally treated as the first; the editions are at best simultaneous and the UK edition does not precede it
- Publisher imprint reads Harper & Brothers
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Aldous Huxley |
| Publisher | Harper & Brothers |
| Year | 1954 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition of the mescaline essay, 1954, issued by Harper & Brothers in New York and by Chatto & Windus in London |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition of the mescaline essay, 1954, issued by Harper & Brothers in New York and by Chatto & Windus in London. The Harper New York edition is the one generally treated as the first; the editions are at best simultaneous and the UK edition does not precede it.

## Is this the true first?
The original record's claim that the UK Chatto edition precedes the US Harper edition is not supported. Sources indicate New York Harper as the first (or, at minimum, simultaneous publication in 1954); the UK edition cannot be presented as preceding the US.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue of the true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Doors of Perception* by Aldous Huxley a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-doors-of-perception
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.