# Is "The Girls at the Sphinx" by James T. Farrell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Girls at the Sphinx by James T. Farrell (Vanguard Press, 1959) is identified by: First printing of this story collection by Vanguard Press. US first (Vanguard Press, New York).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing of this story collection by Vanguard Press
- Vanguard first editions carry no number line; the true first lacks any later-printing notation on the copyright page
- Publisher imprint reads Vanguard Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James T. Farrell |
| Publisher | Vanguard Press |
| Year | 1959 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing of this story collection by Vanguard Press |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First printing of this story collection by Vanguard Press. Vanguard first editions carry no number line; the true first lacks any later-printing notation on the copyright page.

## Is this the true first?
US first (Vanguard Press, New York).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Vanguard did not print a 'first edition' statement on its trade firsts. Later printings are identified by added printing notations on the copyright page rather than by the absence of a statement.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Girls at the Sphinx* by James T. Farrell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-girls-at-the-sphinx
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.