How to Identify a Little, Brown and Company First Edition

Little, Brown and Company is one of the most distinguished American publishing houses and a cornerstone of any serious modern first edition collection. Founded in 1837 in Boston, the company published J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Evelyn Waugh’s American first editions, Emily Dickinson’s early publications, and works by John Phillips Marquand, Norman Mailer, and many others. The Little, Brown imprint is particularly important to collectors because it published definitive American editions of major British authors.

Company History

1837: Charles Coffin Little and James Brown founded Little, Brown and Company in Boston.

1868: Became the authorized publisher of the US Supreme Court’s official reports — a role the company held for over a century.

1898–1950s: Became a major trade publisher with a distinguished literary list.

1968: Acquired by Time Inc. Later passed through Warner Books to become part of Hachette Book Group.

Present: An imprint of Hachette Book Group.

First Edition Identification

The “FIRST EDITION” Statement

Little, Brown’s primary identification method: the words “FIRST EDITION” appear on the copyright page of first printings. This statement is removed for subsequent printings.

The Number Line (Modern Period)

From the 1970s onward, Little, Brown added a number line:

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

The presence of “1” in the number line confirms the first printing. Both the “FIRST EDITION” statement and the number line should be present on first printings from this period.

Earlier Identification

For pre-1960s Little, Brown titles, the first edition is identified by:

• The copyright date matching the title page date
• The absence of printing notices or “Second Printing” statements
• The presence of “FIRST EDITION” on some titles

The “First American Edition” Qualifier

If the copyright page reads “FIRST AMERICAN EDITION” rather than “FIRST EDITION,” the book was published elsewhere first (usually the UK). The Little, Brown edition is the first American edition.

The Catcher in the Rye

The Catcher in the Rye (1951) is the most important Little, Brown first edition and one of the most collected American novels of the twentieth century.

First edition identification:

• Published by Little, Brown and Company, Boston, 1951
• Copyright page states “FIRST EDITION”
• First state dust jacket has the photograph of Salinger on the back panel and the reviews listed on the front flap are for Salinger’s story collection contributions

The first edition/first printing in Fine condition with the first state dust jacket is one of the most valuable post-war American first editions, regularly selling at auction for five to six figures.

Other Notable Little, Brown First Editions

Evelyn Waugh (US firsts):

• Brideshead Revisited (1945 — US first, published by Little, Brown)
• The Loved One (1948)

John Phillips Marquand:

• The Late George Apley (1937 — Pulitzer Prize winner)

Norman Mailer:

• The Naked and the Dead (1948 — published by Rinehart)
• Later Mailer works through Little, Brown

Emily Dickinson:

• Early compilations of Dickinson’s poetry were published by Little, Brown in the 1890s.

Dennis Lehane:

• Mystic River (2001)
• Shutter Island (2003)

Common Pitfalls

Book club editions. Little, Brown titles were frequently distributed by the Book-of-the-Month Club. Check for blind stamps, jacket price, and paper weight.

Atlantic-Little, Brown imprint. Some titles were published under the “Atlantic-Little, Brown” imprint (a joint venture with The Atlantic Monthly Press). These follow similar identification conventions but are a distinct imprint.

Later printings that look like firsts. Some Little, Brown reprints removed the “Second Printing” notice but also removed the “FIRST EDITION” statement. The absence of “FIRST EDITION” does not automatically mean it is a later printing — but its presence is the most reliable positive indicator.

Quick Identification Summary