Lynd Ward’s woodcut novel (the first wordless novel in North America), Gods’ Man, came out as a Trade edition in October 1929, along with the Wall Street Crash. It went on to sell 20,000 copies with six printings in four years.
stranger holding the magical
paintbrush that the young artist
signed his soul for. It is the
final image in the wordless story.
Gods’ Man New York Trade Edition – Electrotype
In an interview with Gil Williams from a special Lynd Ward issue of the Bibliognost: The Book Collector’s Little Magazine in 1976, Ward described this edition –
The trade edition was printed from electrotype. This is not a camera form of reproduction but a form that employs a mold into which first copper and then lead are poured. Thus, instead of approximating on film what has been put on paper, the block itself is reproduced by a casting process. The electrotype for this edition is believed to have been melted down in support of the war effort during the Second World War.
First edition, first printing;
- Publisher: Jonathan Cape and Harrison Smith, NY
- 8.25” x 5.5″
- The book is bound in pictorial paper over one-quarter black cloth.
- A pictorial paper cover was used for printings 1 through 5.
- In printing #6 by Peter Smith, the cover was black cloth with a small printed label on the front. #6 had a dust jacket that used the pictorial cover design on printings #1 to #5.
- Paper label with black lettering on the upper spine.
- top edge text block stained black.
- fore-edge machine deckle.
- Black endpapers
- Unpaginated.
- printed recto
- 144 images
- Slipcase or Dust Jacket?
- Some listings suggest the Trade edition was issued with a pictorial dust jacket. Given the number of copies listed by dealers, none of which have a pictorial dust jacket, this is unlikely. The only printing that can be confirmed is the 6th printing, which did have a printed dust jacket.
- There has been a listing suggesting the Trade edition was published with a slipcase. The Limited edition was issued with a slipcase, and several copies listed for sale have one, often in poor condition. The lack of listings for Trade editions with a slipcase casts doubt on a slipcase for the Trade edition.
- The best guess is that the Trade edition of Gods’ Man was only issued with a glassine wrapper.
1st printing of his 1929 wordless woodcut
novel, Gods’ Man. Photo credit: Fine Editions
1929 wordless woodcut novel, Gods’ Man.
Decorative paper covering front and back
with a paper printed label on the spine.
wordless woodcut novel, Gods’ Man. Photo credit Barberry Lane
novel, Gods’ Man. Photo credit: Sequitur Books
Gods’ Man. First Printing.Photo credit: Sequitur Books
Printings 2nd to 5th
1929 wordless woodcut novel, Gods’ Man. Photo Credit: Robin Rare Books
Photo credit: us-wanta
Peter Smith published 6th printing??
I have no confidence in the accuracy of the following – if you have information about the 6th printing please advise.
The 6th printing by Peter Smith may be the first time a dust jacket was used. Note:
- this printing has a black cloth cover with a small label
- Peter Smith used the pictorial coverings from printings #1 to #5 on the front of the dust jacket.
of the earlier printings. Photo credit: HGG Books
Photo credit: us-wanta
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