First editions

The first edition is the first appearance of a text in printed form: the first printing of the first edition, as the author saw it published. For the collector, it is the reference state of a work - the one described by bibliographies, the one whose value depends on no later reprint.

Identifying a first edition calls for genuine expertise: edition statement, printer's colophon, statement of print run, collation, and the typographical peculiarities noted by bibliographers. Each piece gathered here has been examined against these criteria; the description states the edition, the printing (large-paper copy, limited deluxe edition, review copy) and the condition of the copy.

This selection brings together all the first editions in the collection, from classic literature to twentieth-century texts. The filters allow you to distinguish large-paper copies, copies bearing an inscription by the author, and signed bindings - or to browse by century, language and price.