How to identify a first printing
- 1944-c.1946 (entire run): a short-lived WWII-era mass-market paperback line (parent Bartholomew House) with titles numbered sequentially from #1 (roughly 30 titles). First printing identified by the catalog number plus absence of any later-printing statement on the copyright page; the original 25-cent price and wartime paper-conservation notices help date the issue.
- The line mixed reprints with some originals. For a reprint, 'first' means the first Bart House printing — the earliest issue carrying no reissue note. The most celebrated title is H.P. Lovecraft's The Weird Shadow Over Innsmouth (Bart House #4, 1944), an early standalone Lovecraft paperback.
- Series numbering is the primary identifier; the line ended after only a couple of years, so all titles are scarce and printing-level data is thin — corroborate against a Bart House checklist such as the BookScans defunct-publishers database.
Notable points & cautions
- An imprint of Bartholomew House; one of many small WWII-era paperback houses that briefly competed with Pocket, Avon, Dell and Popular Library.
- Very short run (c.1944-1946); all titles uncommon, roughly 30 numbered issues.
- Best known to collectors for The Weird Shadow Over Innsmouth by H.P. Lovecraft (Bart House #4, 1944).
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Bart House, Bart House Mysteries. Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Bart House book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. 1944-c.1946 (entire run): a short-lived WWII-era mass-market paperback line (parent Bartholomew House) with titles numbered sequentially from #1 (roughly 30 titles). First printing identified by the catalog number plus absence of any later-printing statement on the copyright page; the original 25-cent price and wartime paper-conservation notices help date the issue. The line mixed reprints with some originals. For a reprint, 'first' means the first Bart House printing — the earliest issue carrying no reissue note. The most celebrated title is H.P. Lovecraft's The Weird Shadow Over Innsmouth (Bart House #4, 1944), an early standalone Lovecraft paperback.
Does Bart House use a number line?
The line mixed reprints with some originals. For a reprint, 'first' means the first Bart House printing — the earliest issue carrying no reissue note. The most celebrated title is H.P. Lovecraft's The Weird Shadow Over Innsmouth (Bart House #4, 1944), an early standalone Lovecraft paperback.
Is a book-club edition a Bart House first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. An imprint of Bartholomew House; one of many small WWII-era paperback houses that briefly competed with Pocket, Avon, Dell and Popular Library.
What era does this cover?
This covers Bart House (1944-c.1946). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.