How to Identify a Twin Palms Publishers / Twelvetrees Press First Edition

How to identify a first printing

• The colophon is the defining page: Twin Palms/Twelvetrees books are fine-press, small-run productions, and the colophon states the edition, the printing, the press, and often the print-run size.
• Limited editions: the colophon gives a numbered limitation (e.g. 'one of 35' / 'one of 100'), signed by the artist, frequently housed in a clamshell box with an original gelatin-silver print; that signed/numbered colophon defines the limited issue.
• Trade (open) edition first printings: colophon with first-printing year and no reprint statement; many titles had only a single printing.
• Reissues/reprints are stated, and a later reissue is a distinct edition from the original Twelvetrees printing.

Notable points & cautions

• Founded and run by Jack Woody, who established Twelvetrees Press in 1981 (named after Hollywood actress Helen Twelvetrees, his grandmother); the house later operated as Twin Palms Publishers, so the imprint name distinguishes early (Twelvetrees) from later (Twin Palms) issues, and some titles exist in both.
• Print runs are small and many key titles (Robert Mapplethorpe, Joel-Peter Witkin, George Platt Lynes, Bruce Weber) are single-printing; scarcity is the rule and the colophon limitation is load-bearing.
• Deluxe variants with tipped-in or boxed signed prints are separate issues from the standard hardcover of the same title.

Imprints

First editions also appear under: Twin Palms Publishers, Twelvetrees Press (earlier imprint, from 1981), Twin Palms (trade), Twin Palms limited/deluxe editions. Each generally follows the house convention above.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my Twin Palms Publishers / Twelvetrees Press book is a first edition?

Check the copyright page. The colophon is the defining page: Twin Palms/Twelvetrees books are fine-press, small-run productions, and the colophon states the edition, the printing, the press, and often the print-run size. Limited editions: the colophon gives a numbered limitation (e.g. 'one of 35' / 'one of 100'), signed by the artist, frequently housed in a clamshell box with an original gelatin-silver print; that signed/numbered colophon defines the limited issue.

Does Twin Palms Publishers / Twelvetrees Press use a number line?

Limited editions: the colophon gives a numbered limitation (e.g. 'one of 35' / 'one of 100'), signed by the artist, frequently housed in a clamshell box with an original gelatin-silver print; that signed/numbered colophon defines the limited issue.

Is a book-club edition a Twin Palms Publishers / Twelvetrees Press first edition?

No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Founded and run by Jack Woody, who established Twelvetrees Press in 1981 (named after Hollywood actress Helen Twelvetrees, his grandmother); the house later operated as Twin Palms Publishers, so the imprint name distinguishes early (Twelvetrees) from later (Twin Palms) issues, and some titles exist in both.

What era does this cover?

This covers Twin Palms Publishers / Twelvetrees Press (1981–present (Twelvetrees Press 1981 onward; Twin Palms thereafter)). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.