How to identify a first printing
- Pre-1929: same date on title page and copyright page, no additional printings listed.
- 1929 onward: state 'First Published (year)' or 'First Edition' on the copyright page.
- 1993 onward: 'First Printing (month, year)' plus a number sequence with '1' present.
Notable points & cautions
- The matching-date rule covers the earliest period; the explicit statement covers the bulk of the 20th century.
- US publisher of A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh titles — those have famous title-specific points beyond the house rule.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Dutton, Everyman's Library (US distribution), Obelisk. Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my E. P. Dutton & Company book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. Pre-1929: same date on title page and copyright page, no additional printings listed. 1929 onward: state 'First Published (year)' or 'First Edition' on the copyright page.
Does E. P. Dutton & Company use a number line?
1929 onward: state 'First Published (year)' or 'First Edition' on the copyright page.
Is a book-club edition a E. P. Dutton & Company first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. The matching-date rule covers the earliest period; the explicit statement covers the bulk of the 20th century.
What era does this cover?
This covers E. P. Dutton & Company (1880s-1990s). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.
E. P. Dutton & Company titles with documented first-edition points
Each link opens that title’s specific points of issue — the exact marks that separate a true first printing from a later one.
- A Theological Position (Robert Coover, 1972)
- A Universal History of Infamy (Jorge Luis Borges (trans. Norman Thomas di Giovanni), 1972)
- Abbey's Road (Edward Abbey, 1979)
- American Places (Wallace Stegner, 1981)
- Bellefleur (Joyce Carol Oates, 1980)
- Bendigo Shafter (Louis L'Amour, 1979)
- Come Sing, Jimmy Jo (Katherine Paterson, 1985)
- Dalva (Jim Harrison, 1988)
- Doctor Brodie's Report (Jorge Luis Borges, 1972)
- Down the River (Edward Abbey, 1982)
- Fair Blows the Wind (Louis L'Amour, 1978)
- Far Away and Long Ago: A History of My Early Life (W. H. Hudson, 1918)
- Fudge-a-mania (Judy Blume, 1990)
- Gay-Neck, the Story of a Pigeon (Dhan Gopal Mukerji, 1927)
- Good News (Edward Abbey, 1980)
- I, the Jury (Mickey Spillane, 1947 (hardcover); 1948 (Signet paperback))
- In Praise of Darkness (Jorge Luis Borges, 1974)
- Koko (Peter Straub, 1988)
- Mystery (Peter Straub, 1990)
- Mystery Train: Images of America in Rock 'n' Roll Music (Greil Marcus, 1975)
- One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, 1963)
- Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great (Judy Blume, 1972)
- Pricksongs & Descants (Robert Coover, 1969)
- Rebels of the Heavenly Kingdom (Katherine Paterson, 1983)
Documenting 40 E. P. Dutton & Company titles in all — browse the full title-by-title library →