The points of issue
First printing, Viking Press, November 1937. Photo-text collaboration with Margaret Bourke-White; tan cloth lettered in red, with the original pictorial dust jacket. Landmark Depression-era documentary photo book.
Is this the true first?
US first edition (Viking, 1937).
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A wrappered cheap reprint was issued by Modern Age Books shortly after the Viking hardcover; that softcover is not the first edition. Later printings exist.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of You Have Seen Their Faces a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First printing, Viking Press, November 1937. Photo-text collaboration with Margaret Bourke-White; tan cloth lettered in red, with the original pictorial dust jacket. Landmark Depression-era documentary photo book.
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 first edition (Viking, 1937).
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
A wrappered cheap reprint was issued by Modern Age Books shortly after the Viking hardcover; that softcover is not the first edition. Later printings exist.
I have a first edition of You Have Seen Their Faces — 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.