# Is "These Old Shades" by Georgette Heyer a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer (William Heinemann, 1926) is identified by: UK first, William Heinemann, London, published 21 October 1926 (first printing of 4,500 copies) — the early Heyer Georgian romance that established her reputation. The UK Heinemann edition is the true first and precedes the US edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK first, William Heinemann, London, published 21 October 1926 (first printing of 4,500 copies) — the early Heyer Georgian romance that established her reputation
- Identify by the Heinemann imprint, the 1926 date with no later-impression line, and the period binding and dust jacket; jacketed first impressions are very scarce
- Publisher imprint reads William Heinemann
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Georgette Heyer |
| Publisher | William Heinemann |
| Year | 1926 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | UK first, William Heinemann, London, published 21 October 1926 (first printing of 4,500 copies) — the early Heyer Georgian romance that… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
UK first, William Heinemann, London, published 21 October 1926 (first printing of 4,500 copies) — the early Heyer Georgian romance that established her reputation. Identify by the Heinemann imprint, the 1926 date with no later-impression line, and the period binding and dust jacket; jacketed first impressions are very scarce.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Heinemann edition is the true first and precedes the US edition. An early, scarce Heyer high spot.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue of consequence; later Heinemann reprints carry impression statements. Within its first decade the title was reprinted nearly thirty times, so reprints are far more common than the 1926 first impression.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *These Old Shades* by Georgette Heyer a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/these-old-shades
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.