How to Identify a The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA Publications) First Edition

How to identify a first printing

• Copyright page is the primary tool: many MoMA catalogues explicitly state the edition and printing; reprints carry a stated 'second printing' or 'revised edition' line, so its absence alongside the first-published year supports a first printing.
• Where a modern title carries a number line, apply standard rules (lowest number present = printing); note that older and many institutional catalogues rely on stated wording rather than a number line.
• The museum's exhibition number and show dates help date a catalogue and corroborate first-printing attribution alongside the stated edition.
• The trade distributor on the title page (D.A.P. for US/Canada, Thames & Hudson elsewhere) helps date and locate the issue but does not by itself change first-printing status.

Notable points & cautions

• Historic MoMA catalogues (1929–1960s) were variously co-published or distributed (Doubleday, New York Graphic Society, Simon & Schuster, Abrams); the co-publisher imprint dates the issue, and many landmark catalogues have well-documented multiple printings.
• 'The Family of Man' (1955) and other blockbusters exist in many printings and softcover/hardcover variants — verify the specific title's known points rather than relying on house rules alone.
• Current trade distribution: ARTBOOK | D.A.P. in US/Canada, Thames & Hudson outside; a Thames & Hudson copy is the non-US issue of the same MoMA edition.

Imprints

First editions also appear under: The Museum of Modern Art, New York, MoMA, MoMA / Distributed Art Publishers (D.A.P.) (US distribution), MoMA / Thames & Hudson (non-US distribution), MoMA QNS / earlier co-publishers (Doubleday, New York Graphic Society, Abrams as historic co-publishers). Each generally follows the house convention above.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA Publications) book is a first edition?

Check the copyright page. Copyright page is the primary tool: many MoMA catalogues explicitly state the edition and printing; reprints carry a stated 'second printing' or 'revised edition' line, so its absence alongside the first-published year supports a first printing. Where a modern title carries a number line, apply standard rules (lowest number present = printing); note that older and many institutional catalogues rely on stated wording rather than a number line.

Does The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA Publications) use a number line?

Where a modern title carries a number line, apply standard rules (lowest number present = printing); note that older and many institutional catalogues rely on stated wording rather than a number line.

Is a book-club edition a The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA Publications) first edition?

No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Historic MoMA catalogues (1929–1960s) were variously co-published or distributed (Doubleday, New York Graphic Society, Simon & Schuster, Abrams); the co-publisher imprint dates the issue, and many landmark catalogues have well-documented multiple printings.

What era does this cover?

This covers The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA Publications) (1929–present). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.