The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
For a first edition, first impression of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis (Geoffrey Bles, 1950), the first point to check: Copyright page: “Printed in Great Britain by Butler & Tanner Ltd, Frome, for Geoffrey Bles Ltd, 52 Doughty Street, London W.C.1” and “First published 1950” as the only date line.
Not yet valued.
How to identify this edition
These points tell this edition apart from other printings and editions of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
✓ Copyright page: “Printed in Great Britain by Butler & Tanner Ltd, Frome, for Geoffrey Bles Ltd, 52 Doughty Street, London W.C.1” and “First published 1950” as the only date line
✓ Title page: London: Geoffrey Bles, illustrations by Pauline Baynes
✓ Frontispiece: in colour, by Pauline Baynes
✓ Binding: pale green-blue (teal) cloth, title and author on the spine, “Geoffrey Bles” at the foot
✓ Dust jacket: grey-buff pictorial jacket by Pauline Baynes: an oval vignette of the children riding the lion among fauns, “A Story for Children by C. S. Lewis” below
✓ Price: 8s. 6d. net (8 shillings 6 pence) at the foot of the front flap (unclipped); later impressions use the same jacket design, so the jacket alone doesn’t prove a first
Common questions
- How do I know if my copy of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a first edition, first impression?
- ✓ Copyright page: “Printed in Great Britain by Butler & Tanner Ltd, Frome, for Geoffrey Bles Ltd, 52 Doughty Street, London W.C.1” and “First published 1950” as the only date line ✓ Title page: London: Geoffrey Bles, illustrations by Pauline Baynes ✓ Frontispiece: in colour, by Pauline Baynes ✓ Binding: pale green-blue (teal) cloth, title and author on the spine, “Geoffrey Bles” at the foot ✓ Dust jacket: grey-buff… The identification points above show each one.
- Can I sell my copy of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe?
- Yes. We value the exact copy from recorded sales and make a firm cash offer, free and with no obligation to sell.
Selling a copy?
We value the exact copy from recorded sales and make a firm cash offer, free and with no obligation. Get an offer.
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