How to identify a first printing
- 1941-1956 (Cummington, MA): fine hand-letterpress books in small editions, typically a few hundred copies. Identification = the COLOPHON/LIMITATION statement giving copy count, types, paper, and printers (e.g. 'one of 300 numbered copies'). The first book was 'Incident on the Bark Columbia' (1941).
- Limitation is usually numbered; some titles include a small signed or deluxe sub-issue noted on the colophon. There is no number line — these are discrete hand-press editions, so the stated limitation IS the identification.
- Mid-1950s-1985 (Duncan in Iowa, then Omaha): continued as the Cummington Press, and from 1972 at the University of Nebraska at Omaha he ran Abattoir Editions alongside it. Colophons state limitation, types, paper, and printer; match the descriptive bibliography of the Press and Abattoir Editions for exact states.
- Because each title is a discrete fine-press edition that was rarely reprinted, a copy matching the colophon collation is the first; watch for later commercial reprints of the same texts issued by other publishers (not Cummington).
Notable points & cautions
- Founded within the Cummington School of the Arts; began operations in 1939 and was established as an imprint by Katharine Frazier and Harry Duncan in 1941. Duncan (1916-1997) became the central pressman and a leading figure of the post-WWII private-press movement.
- Published early Wallace Stevens ('Esthétique du Mal', 1945, illustrated by Paul Wightman Williams, in a limited edition of a few hundred copies) along with work associated with other modernist poets.
- Duncan later taught typography (including at the University of Iowa) and moved to the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 1972, where he established Abattoir Editions.
- A pre-eminent example of American hand-press poetry printing; collation, type identification, and the colophon are the identification keys.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: The Cummington Press, Abattoir Editions (University of Nebraska at Omaha continuation, from 1972). Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my The Cummington Press (and Abattoir Editions) book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. 1941-1956 (Cummington, MA): fine hand-letterpress books in small editions, typically a few hundred copies. Identification = the COLOPHON/LIMITATION statement giving copy count, types, paper, and printers (e.g. 'one of 300 numbered copies'). The first book was 'Incident on the Bark Columbia' (1941). Limitation is usually numbered; some titles include a small signed or deluxe sub-issue noted on the colophon. There is no number line — these are discrete hand-press editions, so the stated limitation IS the identification.
Does The Cummington Press (and Abattoir Editions) use a number line?
Limitation is usually numbered; some titles include a small signed or deluxe sub-issue noted on the colophon. There is no number line — these are discrete hand-press editions, so the stated limitation IS the identification.
Is a book-club edition a The Cummington Press (and Abattoir Editions) first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Founded within the Cummington School of the Arts; began operations in 1939 and was established as an imprint by Katharine Frazier and Harry Duncan in 1941. Duncan (1916-1997) became the central pressman and a leading figure of the post-WWII private-press movement.
What era does this cover?
This covers The Cummington Press (and Abattoir Editions) (1941-1985 (Duncan's tenure)). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.