# Is "The Silver Chair" by C. S. Lewis (illustrated by Pauline Baynes) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis (illustrated by Pauline Baynes) (Geoffrey Bles, 1953) is identified by: UK first: Geoffrey Bles, London, 1953, illustrated by Pauline Baynes. The UK Geoffrey Bles edition is the true first, preceding the US Macmillan edition issued the same year (1953).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK first: Geoffrey Bles, London, 1953, illustrated by Pauline Baynes
- The true first has no impression or reprint statement on the verso of the title page (no number line in this period; dated title page with a clean verso indicates the first printing)
- Publisher imprint reads Geoffrey Bles
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | C. S. Lewis (illustrated by Pauline Baynes) |
| Publisher | Geoffrey Bles |
| Year | 1953 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | UK first: Geoffrey Bles, London, 1953, illustrated by Pauline Baynes |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
UK first: Geoffrey Bles, London, 1953, illustrated by Pauline Baynes. The true first has no impression or reprint statement on the verso of the title page (no number line in this period; dated title page with a clean verso indicates the first printing).

## Is this the true first?
The UK Geoffrey Bles edition is the true first, preceding the US Macmillan edition issued the same year (1953).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions add a verso impression note and lengthen the jacket title-list. The US Macmillan edition is a distinct publication, not the UK first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Silver Chair* by C. S. Lewis (illustrated by Pauline Baynes) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-silver-chair
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.