How to identify a first printing
- Identification is title-by-title via the JARGON NUMBER and a published checklist (Jargon Society: A Checklist), not a uniform number-line system. Each title carries a sequential Jargon number, and fine-press titles carry a colophon stating the limitation and printer.
- 1951 / early 1950s: the earliest item (Jargon 1, 1951) is a letterpress broadside/leaflet in a tiny run (50 copies, printed by David Ruff). First-edition status = matching the checklist's limitation, printer, and physical collation; some early items are signed on the colophon.
- Black Mountain / mid-to-late 1950s onward: fine letterpress books (Olson's Maximus Poems 1-10 in 1953, plus Creeley, Levertov, Niedecker and others) with colophons stating exact limitation and printers. Signed/limited states are noted on the colophon.
- 1960s-1990s: continued limited letterpress and offset editions, some co-published as Jargon/Corinth. A first = colophon limitation present and matching the checklist; trade co-issues are identified by the absence of a later-printing statement.
- Because runs are small and reprints rare, a Jargon book matching the checklist's collation is almost always the first; later states are usually clearly noted facsimiles or reissues.
Notable points & cautions
- Founded in 1951 by poet Jonathan Williams with painter David Ruff (reportedly conceived in a San Francisco restaurant); a foundational Black Mountain / post-Pound avant-garde imprint.
- Published Charles Olson's Maximus Poems (1-10 in 1953, 11-22 in 1956) and work by Creeley, Levertov, Niedecker, Mina Loy, and Appalachian/outsider figures.
- Williams was a meticulous designer; Jargon books are prized as objects, so collation, paper, and colophon details are the identification keys.
- Roughly 115 titles across the original series (about 85 books plus broadsides and pamphlets); the Jargon number on the colophon is the cataloguing anchor.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Jargon, Jargon Society, Jargon/Corinth (co-imprint with Corinth Books). Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my The Jargon Society (Jargon Books) book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. Identification is title-by-title via the JARGON NUMBER and a published checklist (Jargon Society: A Checklist), not a uniform number-line system. Each title carries a sequential Jargon number, and fine-press titles carry a colophon stating the limitation and printer. 1951 / early 1950s: the earliest item (Jargon 1, 1951) is a letterpress broadside/leaflet in a tiny run (50 copies, printed by David Ruff). First-edition status = matching the checklist's limitation, printer, and physical collation; some early items are signed on the colophon.
Does The Jargon Society (Jargon Books) use a number line?
1951 / early 1950s: the earliest item (Jargon 1, 1951) is a letterpress broadside/leaflet in a tiny run (50 copies, printed by David Ruff). First-edition status = matching the checklist's limitation, printer, and physical collation; some early items are signed on the colophon.
Is a book-club edition a The Jargon Society (Jargon Books) first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Founded in 1951 by poet Jonathan Williams with painter David Ruff (reportedly conceived in a San Francisco restaurant); a foundational Black Mountain / post-Pound avant-garde imprint.
What era does this cover?
This covers The Jargon Society (Jargon Books) (1951-2008 (active under Williams; Jargon Society continues as a nonprofit)). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.