How to identify a first printing
- Since 1905: state "First published in [Year]" or "First published in Great Britain [Year]" on the copyright page of firsts, with later printings noted
- Pre-1905: no copyright-page statement on firsts; later printings sometimes indicated by a 'thousands' statement on the title page (e.g. 'Forty-third Thousand') — a higher 'thousand' = later printing
- First printing = the 'First published' statement (post-1905) OR absence of any 'thousand'/reprint notation (pre-1905)
- Modern Methuen (and as Bloomsbury imprint) uses number lines
Notable points & cautions
- The 'Nth Thousand' title-page convention is a classic Edwardian-era tell — the FIRST thousand printing is the true first; later 'thousands' are reprints, not firsts
- Published Kenneth Grahame ('The Wind in the Willows', 1908), A.A. Milne ('Winnie-the-Pooh' Methuen, 1926), Oscar Wilde, Robert Graves
- Milne/Pooh firsts have specific binding and first-issue points highly sought after
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Methuen, Methuen Drama (Eyre Methuen), Magnet (children's paperback). Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Methuen & Co. book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. Since 1905: state "First published in [Year]" or "First published in Great Britain [Year]" on the copyright page of firsts, with later printings noted Pre-1905: no copyright-page statement on firsts; later printings sometimes indicated by a 'thousands' statement on the title page (e.g. 'Forty-third Thousand') — a higher 'thousand' = later printing
Does Methuen & Co. use a number line?
Pre-1905: no copyright-page statement on firsts; later printings sometimes indicated by a 'thousands' statement on the title page (e.g. 'Forty-third Thousand') — a higher 'thousand' = later printing
Is a book-club edition a Methuen & Co. first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. The 'Nth Thousand' title-page convention is a classic Edwardian-era tell — the FIRST thousand printing is the true first; later 'thousands' are reprints, not firsts
What era does this cover?
This covers Methuen & Co. (1889-present). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.
Methuen & Co. 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.
- Betrayal (Harold Pinter, 1978)
- Bill the Conqueror (P.G. Wodehouse, 1924)
- Broken Glass (Arthur Miller, 1994)
- Copenhagen (Michael Frayn, 1998)
- Fen (Caryl Churchill, 1983)
- Glengarry Glen Ross (David Mamet, 1983-1984)
- Kathleen and Frank (Christopher Isherwood, 1971)
- Mr. Peters' Connection (Arthur Miller, 1998)
- Now We Are Six (A. A. Milne (illustrated by E. H. Shepard), 1927)
- Objections to Sex and Violence (Caryl Churchill, 1985)
- Owners (Caryl Churchill, 1973)
- Pravda (with Howard Brenton) (David Hare, 1985)
- Round the Red Lamp (Arthur Conan Doyle, 1894)
- Sam the Sudden (P.G. Wodehouse, 1925)
- Serious Money (Caryl Churchill, 1987)
- Softcops (Caryl Churchill, 1984)
- The Adventures of Tintin (English-language firsts) (Hergé (Georges Remi), varies (English-language Methuen albums from 1958))
- The Beauty Queen of Leenane (Martin McDonagh, 1996)
- The Birthday Party (Harold Pinter, 1959)
- The Caretaker (Harold Pinter, 1960)
- The Condor and the Cows (Christopher Isherwood, 1949)
- The Cryptogram (David Mamet, 1995)
- The Homecoming (Harold Pinter, 1965)
- The House at Pooh Corner (A. A. Milne (illustrated by E. H. Shepard), 1928)
Documenting 37 Methuen & Co. titles in all — browse the full title-by-title library →