How to identify a first printing
- Copyright page typically prints a sequence of edition/printing/year codes. Older Chicago books show two date rows: a row of EDITION years and a row of IMPRESSION/printing years; the earliest impression year present indicates the printing date — later printings strip the earliest figures.
- Statement of printing: e.g., 'Published 19xx' / 'First Edition' on first printings; 'Second Impression,' 'Third Impression' for later runs.
- Modern Chicago titles use a number line on the copyright page; a line including '1' = first printing.
- Chicago's own house style (the Chicago Manual) prescribes the impression-line format, so its books are unusually consistent — read the impression line at the foot of the copyright page.
Notable points & cautions
- The distinctive Chicago 'impression year' line (a row of years, lowest = current printing) is the key tell on mid-20th-century books and can be confused with a number line — read it as impression dates, not a 1-10 sequence.
- Phoenix Books (from 1956) and Midway Reprints are paperback/reprint lines — not first printings of the original cloth first edition.
- Chicago publishes many heavily revised reference works (e.g., the Chicago Manual of Style itself); each 'edition' is numbered and dated — match the edition number to the first.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Phoenix Books, Midway Reprints, University of Chicago Press / distributed presses. Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my University of Chicago Press book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. Copyright page typically prints a sequence of edition/printing/year codes. Older Chicago books show two date rows: a row of EDITION years and a row of IMPRESSION/printing years; the earliest impression year present indicates the printing date — later printings strip the earliest figures. Statement of printing: e.g., 'Published 19xx' / 'First Edition' on first printings; 'Second Impression,' 'Third Impression' for later runs.
Does University of Chicago Press use a number line?
Statement of printing: e.g., 'Published 19xx' / 'First Edition' on first printings; 'Second Impression,' 'Third Impression' for later runs.
Is a book-club edition a University of Chicago Press first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. The distinctive Chicago 'impression year' line (a row of years, lowest = current printing) is the key tell on mid-20th-century books and can be confused with a number line — read it as impression dates, not a 1-10 sequence.
What era does this cover?
This covers University of Chicago Press (1891–present (impression-line style mid-20th c.; number lines later)). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.