How to identify a first printing
- 1932-1960s: fine and limited titles are identified by the COLOPHON (limitation, date, designer = Ward Ritchie, illustrator, and types). Trade titles under the Ward Ritchie Press imprint follow conventional first-edition practice for the era — look for the absence of a later-printing notice together with a stated copyright date matching the title page.
- Early period (from 1932): colophon-driven for limited work, with the imprint 'The Ward Ritchie Press' on the title page or colophon.
- The printing firm operated as Anderson & Ritchie and later Anderson, Ritchie & Simon; that firm name appears in the colophon as printer, while the publishing imprint may still read 'Ward Ritchie Press.'
- Later trade titles: first printings generally carry no additional-printing statement, with later printings adding 'second printing' and the like; limited issues continue to be colophon-identified.
- Laguna Verde Imprenta (Ritchie's retirement private press in Laguna Beach, on an Albion hand press): identify by the colophon limitation statement, hand-numbered.
Notable points & cautions
- Ritchie trained at the Frank Wiggins Trade School in Los Angeles and under François-Louis Schmied in Paris; design quality is a key authenticity signal.
- Distinguish the PRINTING firm names (Anderson & Ritchie; Anderson, Ritchie & Simon) from the PUBLISHING imprint (Ward Ritchie Press).
- The Ward Ritchie imprint focused on keepsakes, limited editions, cookbooks, and Western Americana / local history; the larger firm handled commercial printing.
- Ritchie retired in 1974 and moved to Laguna Beach to run the Laguna Verde Imprenta on an Albion hand press.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Anderson & Ritchie, Anderson, Ritchie & Simon, Laguna Verde Imprenta (Ritchie's later private imprint, Laguna Beach). Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Ward Ritchie Press book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. 1932-1960s: fine and limited titles are identified by the COLOPHON (limitation, date, designer = Ward Ritchie, illustrator, and types). Trade titles under the Ward Ritchie Press imprint follow conventional first-edition practice for the era — look for the absence of a later-printing notice together with a stated copyright date matching the title page. Early period (from 1932): colophon-driven for limited work, with the imprint 'The Ward Ritchie Press' on the title page or colophon.
Does Ward Ritchie Press use a number line?
Early period (from 1932): colophon-driven for limited work, with the imprint 'The Ward Ritchie Press' on the title page or colophon.
Is a book-club edition a Ward Ritchie Press first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Ritchie trained at the Frank Wiggins Trade School in Los Angeles and under François-Louis Schmied in Paris; design quality is a key authenticity signal.
What era does this cover?
This covers Ward Ritchie Press (1932-1974 (press); Laguna Verde Imprenta from the 1970s). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.