Black Boy: A Record of Childhood and Youth
First Edition, First Printing, 1945
A first-edition, first-printing copy of Richard Wright’s landmark account of childhood, race, hunger, and the formation of a writer.
Why this book matters
Richard Wright’s account of his childhood and youth under Jim Crow became a foundational work of African American autobiography and twentieth-century American literature. Its unsparing treatment of family, poverty, violence, reading, and intellectual independence continues to shape how readers understand Wright’s life and work.
Why this copy
This 1945 first edition, first printing retains its original dark blue cloth binding. Fragmentary remains of the original dust jacket have been preserved and photographed separately so a collector can assess them directly. A prior Lorne Bair catalog card accompanies the copy.
Edition details
- Author
- Richard Wright
- Foreword
- Edward Aswell
- Publisher
- Harper & Brothers Publishers
- Publication
- New York and London, 1945
- Format
- Hardcover; original dark blue cloth
- Edition
- First edition, first printing
- Printing statement
- FIRST EDITION, M-T, 2-5
- Dust jacket
- Fragmentary remains preserved separately
Condition
The hardcover book is in good condition for its age, complete, and free of odor. No visible repairs or markings were reported.
Research note
The first-edition statement and Harper printing code “M-T, 2-5” were checked in the book. Edward Aswell’s foreword is included here and in the page metadata because it is part of this edition’s scholarly context.