Is My The Maximus Poems a First Edition?

The points of issue

• Jargon/Corinth Books first collected edition, 1960 (Jonathan Williams's Jargon Society in association with Corinth), first printing
• Issued primarily in decorated wrappers with a map design; a small hardcover binding was also done (about 75 numbered copies, plus 26 lettered-and-signed copies)
• It gathers and revises material first issued piecemeal: The Maximus Poems / 1-10 (Jargon 7, 1953) and The Maximus Poems / 11-22 (Jargon 9, 1956)

How Jargon / Corinth Books marked a first edition

• 1960s-1990s: continued limited letterpress and offset editions, some co-published as Jargon/Corinth. A first = colophon limitation present and matching the checklist; trade co-issues are identified by the absence of a la…

Full Jargon / Corinth Books first-edition guide →

How to verify your copy, step by step

1. Find the copyright page — the verso (back) of the title page.
2. Confirm the first-edition statement — look for “First Edition,” “First Printing,” or the publisher’s equivalent wording.
3. Check for a number line or dated printing — the lowest number present is the printing; a dated first printing with no later printings listed is the tell.
4. Rule out a book-club edition — a blind-stamp on the rear board or a jacket with no printed price marks a book-club copy.
5. Photograph four things — the front cover, spine, title page, and copyright page — the standard record for identification.

The dust jacket

For a collectible first edition the dust jacket matters as much as the book. Confirm the jacket is present and unclipped — the printed price should still be at the corner of the flap (a clipped corner or a price-less flap can indicate a book-club issue). First-state jackets can differ from later ones in the cover art, blurbs, or review quotations; where a specific first-state jacket point is known for this title it is noted above.

Binding & format

Where multiple bindings exist, the hardcover trade issue is usually (but not always) the precedence copy — confirm against the points above. Later printings often show cheaper cloth, thinner boards, or simplified spine stamping. A simultaneous signed or limited issue, when one exists, is a distinct state from the trade first.

Is this the true first?

The true first appearances are the earlier piecemeal installments, The Maximus Poems / 1-10 (1953) and / 11-22 (1956), printed by hand letterpress in Stuttgart, Germany (Dr. Cantz'sche Druckerei) for Jonathan Williams's Jargon imprint, in small editions (about 300 and 350 copies). The 1960 Jargon/Corinth volume is the first collected gathering, not the first appearance; choose by goal.P-004535

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

No book-club edition. The crux is the early hand-printed Stuttgart installments (1953, 1956) vs the 1960 first collected edition.P-004536

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of The Maximus Poems a first edition?

A first edition of The Maximus Poems by Charles Olson (Jargon / Corinth Books) is identified by: Jargon/Corinth Books first collected edition, 1960 (Jonathan Williams's Jargon Society in association with Corinth), first printing.

How do I tell the first printing from a later one?

Check the copyright page. A stated first edition, a number line ending in 1, or a dated first printing with no later printings listed is the key. The true first appearances are the earlier piecemeal installments, The Maximus Poems / 1-10 (1953) and / 11-22 (1956), printed by hand letterpress in Stuttgart, Germany (Dr.

Is the book-club edition the same as the first?

No book-club edition. The crux is the early hand-printed Stuttgart installments (1953, 1956) vs the 1960 first collected edition.

I have a first edition of The Maximus Poems — what should I do?

First, document the copy: photograph the copyright page (the number line and any edition statement) and the dust-jacket flap — an unclipped, priced jacket matters. Confirm the points of issue above against your copy, and use the free First Edition Checker to decode the printing. To sell, the author’s collecting guide covers the market. And if you are clearing books in the Albuquerque area, the New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies are identified rather than discarded.

Glossary

First edition

Every copy printed from the first setting of type. Collectors usually want the first edition, first printing (the true first).

First printing / impression

A single press run from that setting. The first printing is the earliest and most desirable; later printings are still the first edition but not the true first.

Number line (printer's key)

A row of numbers on the copyright page (e.g. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). The lowest number present is the printing — a line including 1 marks a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2).

Points of issue

Specific physical details — a stated edition, a number line, a typo, a jacket state — that identify the true first printing.

Book-club edition (BCE)

A reprint made for a book club. Tells include a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board and a dust jacket with no printed price. Not the true first.

First thus

The first appearance of a particular version (first paperback, first illustrated, first U.S. printing) — a first of that kind, not the first edition of the work.