The points of issue
First edition bears the Charles Scribner's Sons imprint dated 1893; xii, 310 pages, illustrated from the author's own photographs. Bound in brown bead-grain cloth stamped in gold, black, and yellow on the front and spine, with the back board undecorated; no later-printing statement. Foundational New Mexico travel and Americana classic.
Is this the true first?
US Scribner's 1893 is the true first. Later University of New Mexico Press reprints, with new introductions, are 'first thus.'
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Identified by the 1893 Scribner's imprint and original decorated bead-grain cloth. Commonly encountered copies are 20th-century reprints with different imprints and added introductions.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Land of Poco Tiempo a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition bears the Charles Scribner's Sons imprint dated 1893; xii, 310 pages, illustrated from the author's own photographs. Bound in brown bead-grain cloth stamped in gold, black, and yellow on the front and spine, with the back board undecorated; no later-printing statement. Foundational New Mexico travel and Americana classic.
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. US Scribner's 1893 is the true first. Later University of New Mexico Press reprints, with new introductions, are 'first thus.'
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Identified by the 1893 Scribner's imprint and original decorated bead-grain cloth. Commonly encountered copies are 20th-century reprints with different imprints and added introductions.
I have a first edition of The Land of Poco Tiempo — 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.