On exhibit August 2022 – January 2023 in the Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives (ZSR 625)

In book collecting circles, the mystique of the “first edition” is impossible to ignore. But what is a first edition anyway? Are they really more desirable or interesting than later editions? And what, if any, is their research value?

This exhibit will answer these questions with examples of first editions from the 16th through 20th centuries, from authors including Jane Austen, Phillis Wheatley, Charles Darwin, Walt Whitman, Maya Angelou, and many others.

For more information about this exhibit, or to schedule a class or tour, please contact archives@wfu.edu.