# Is "The Land of Journeys' Ending signed first" by Mary Hunter Austin a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Land of Journeys' Ending signed first by Mary Hunter Austin (Century, 1924) is identified by: The true first edition is the Century Co. The 1924 Century Co.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The true first edition is the Century Co
- (New York) hardcover of 1924, an octavo of about 459 pages illustrated by John Edwin Jackson with full-page and in-text drawings, chapter headpieces, a frontispiece, and a full-page map, and including a glossary
- The first-edition binding is pale camel or yellow cloth over boards lettered and stamped on the spine and front in red and black
- A signed first is inscribed or signed by Mary Austin herself
- Confirm the Century Co. imprint and the 1924 date with no later-printing statement, and the presence of the Jackson illustrations and map that characterize the first issue
- Publisher imprint reads Century
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Mary Hunter Austin |
| Publisher | Century |
| Year | 1924 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The true first edition is the Century Co |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The true first edition is the Century Co. (New York) hardcover of 1924, an octavo of about 459 pages illustrated by John Edwin Jackson with full-page and in-text drawings, chapter headpieces, a frontispiece, and a full-page map, and including a glossary. The first-edition binding is pale camel or yellow cloth over boards lettered and stamped on the spine and front in red and black. A signed first is inscribed or signed by Mary Austin herself. Confirm the Century Co. imprint and the 1924 date with no later-printing statement, and the presence of the Jackson illustrations and map that characterize the first issue.

## Is this the true first?
The 1924 Century Co. hardcover is the true first edition, preceding all later reprints and the modern University of Illinois Press facsimile. A genuine signed first bears Austin's own signature and retains the 1924 first-printing state.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions, later reprints, and the modern facsimile reissue reprint the text but are not the 1924 first edition and are far less collectible. Use the points above — the Century Co. imprint, 1924 date, camel/yellow cloth stamped in red and black, and the Jackson illustrations and map — to be certain; see book-club edition vs. first edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Land of Journeys' Ending signed first* by Mary Hunter Austin a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-land-of-journeys-ending-signed-first
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.