How to identify a first printing
- Early decades (publishing as the Marine Historical Association): scholarly maritime monographs whose first printings generally carry no printing statement; subsequent printings note 'Second printing' or a revised date. Identify a first by a sole copyright date with no later-printing line.
- Later decades (as Mystic Seaport Museum): the copyright page states the printing or, on more recent trade titles, carries a number line whose lowest number indicates the printing. Many titles state 'First edition' or 'First published' with year.
- All eras: museum-issued exhibition catalogs and reprints of nineteenth-century works are common. A reprint of an earlier work will say 'Reprint' or give the original date plus the museum's later imprint date, and is not a first edition of the original text.
Notable points & cautions
- Output is small-press and institutional with short print runs, so firsts are scarce but rarely command first-edition premiums except for landmark monographs.
- Co-publishing with university and trade presses means the trade partner's first-edition convention may govern the hardcover.
- The Marine Historical Association was incorporated on December 25, 1929 by Edward E. Bradley, Carl C. Cutler and Charles K. Stillman, and is today Mystic Seaport Museum.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Marine Historical Association (early publishing body), Mystic Seaport Museum Inc., American Maritime Library series. Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Mystic Seaport (Mystic Seaport Museum / Marine Historical Association) book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. Early decades (publishing as the Marine Historical Association): scholarly maritime monographs whose first printings generally carry no printing statement; subsequent printings note 'Second printing' or a revised date. Identify a first by a sole copyright date with no later-printing line. Later decades (as Mystic Seaport Museum): the copyright page states the printing or, on more recent trade titles, carries a number line whose lowest number indicates the printing. Many titles state 'First edition' or 'First published' with year.
Does Mystic Seaport (Mystic Seaport Museum / Marine Historical Association) use a number line?
Later decades (as Mystic Seaport Museum): the copyright page states the printing or, on more recent trade titles, carries a number line whose lowest number indicates the printing. Many titles state 'First edition' or 'First published' with year.
Is a book-club edition a Mystic Seaport (Mystic Seaport Museum / Marine Historical Association) first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Output is small-press and institutional with short print runs, so firsts are scarce but rarely command first-edition premiums except for landmark monographs.
What era does this cover?
This covers Mystic Seaport (Mystic Seaport Museum / Marine Historical Association) (c.1929-present (incorporated as the Marine Historical Association in December 1929)). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.