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Categories for the Description of Works of Art


10. Edition


DEFINITION

The placement of a work in the context of prior or later issuances of multiples of the same work. EDITION either identifies a specific work in the context of a group issued at the same time, or defines an issuance of a work in relation to previous and subsequent editions.



SUBCATEGORIES

GENERAL DISCUSSION

EDITION may be used in two senses: In the first sense, it may identify a specific work in the context of a group issued at the same time. In this sense, it describes a limited number of works made at a given time, such as prints taken from a plate or bronzes made from a set of molds. In the case of prints or photographs, an inscription often identifies the number of the impression, and juxtaposes it with the total print run (e.g., 2/32).

In another sense, EDITION defines an issuance of a work in relation to previous and subsequent editions. Historically, this concept of edition is more problematic, and applying the category to printed works is often possible only if they were published in book form [1] or can be grouped as a result of detailed study.

The edition of a work is often difficult to identify. In the case of books and "book-like" materials, an inscription may be present, possibly on the title page (e.g., Third Edition). If an edition statement is found on the title page, it should be transcribed accurately. Such inscriptions, however, can be misleading, as they may not accurately reflect the number of the edition at hand.

Identifying an edition may require the expertise of a connoisseur, or comparison of the object with a published catalogue raisonné. It is often a small technical change, such as the use of a different paper, shown by a change in watermark, that identifies a different edition. In other cases, different publishers will have issued a work, each in their own editions.

This information is often speculative, and not always reliable; all editions of a work are not always known or described. It is also difficult to apply the concept of edition to earlier works, when "printmaking plates were kept in the possession of the artist or publisher who ran off more impressions as needed until the plate wore out." [2] Multiple opinions should be accommodated.

Note that different versions of a work, such as copies after a work, re-creations, replicas, or reproductions of it, are not considered states or editions. Versions include the following examples: 1/4-scale version, small version, version A. Record versions as RELATED WORKS.

Source
A printed work in book form may have a title page with an edition statement. Inscriptions may be found on single sheets or photographs. Information about the various editions of an artist's graphic works may also be found in secondary sources devoted to the history of printmaking or to the graphic work of an artist. Sometimes the date a work was created identifies it as a separate edition. For example, the sculptures of the nineteenth-century artist, Rodin, are still being cast today, but the twentieth-century bronzes are not considered part of the original edition. Edition statements may be found on the title page, colophon, or justification of "book-like" works, or in inscriptions on single-sheet works. Secondary sources, such as collection catalogs and catalogues raisonnés, may also help to identify the edition of a work, as will comparison to other known instances of the same work.

Uses
An edition numbersets a specific work apart from other works of different editions. An edition statement helps to identify the work described, providing a context for its study and an aid in its dating and evaluation.

As works produced in multiples can vary slightly, identifying the edition of a work distinguishes it from other similar works, issued previously or subsequently and belonging to different editions. For example, identifying a work as belonging to the third edition removes it somewhat from its original creation and possibly from its original creator.

Relationships between editions illuminate the evolution of an idea. Some editions are of more historical value than others, as they incorporate significant changes or additions. The illustrations or text of a work may change from edition to edition.

Placing an individual impression in the context of the total print run (e.g., 2/40, meaning the second print in a run of forty prints) helps to assess how widely a work of art was distributed, and therefore its rarity.

Cataloging rules
For the subcategories in this section, basic recommendations and discussion are provided below. For a fuller, more prescriptive set of cataloging rules for some of the subcategories, see Chapter 3: Physical Characteristics in Cataloging Cultural Objects (CCO), which deals with a critical subset of the CDWA.

RELATED CATEGORIES and ACCESS

Inscriptions indicating edition should be recorded in the category INSCRIPTIONS/MARKS. Different stages of the same work should be indicated in the category STATE. It may be problematic to determine if a given work is considered an edition or a state; the distinction between EDITION and STATE often hinges on the span of time between works. Also, various editions are not necessarily different from one another, while various states do differ. The publisher of a work, who may be responsible for a particular edition, should be indicated in the category CREATION. The date an edition was issued should be specified in the subcategory CREATION - DATE.

Different versions of a work, such as copies after it and re-creations, replicas, or reproductions of it, should be recorded separately from states or editions in RELATED WORKS. Component parts, lots, or collections of objects, such as tea sets and nests of baskets, are not covered in this category. See OBJECT/WORK and OBJECT/WORK - COMPONENTS.


Researchers may need to identify specific editions of known works. They may wish to use information about edition to connect items known to have been published as part of a particular edition. Researchers may wish to discover intermediate editions or to identify individual manuscripts as early or late in a sequence. Those versions of Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience that have been identified as early differ interestingly from those that have been identified as late.

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10.1. Edition Description

DEFINITION

A description of the specific edition to which a work belongs, whether expressed as a fractional number or as a name or expression of the context related to prior or later issuances

EXAMPLES


46/500
2nd edition
subscriber's edition
Kennedy edition
unlimited edition
edition of approximately 100
edition of 10 or fewer
25 casts made
4 known casts


DISCUSSION and GUIDELINES

Optional: For prints and other works produced in multiples, record a description of the EDITION when applicable. EDITION - DESCRIPTION should be, a notation that identifies a specific print or other work in the context of a limited number of identical or very similar works made or issued at the same time and from the same matrix (e.g., 4/75). For books, record an indication of the position of the issuance of the work in relation to previous and subsequent editions (e.g., 3nd edition), if known. A new edition of a book is characterized by substantive revisions to the intellectual content of the work, including alterations of the text or illustrations.

Form and syntax
Avoid abbreviations, except for ordinal numerals (e.g., use 3rd rather than third). Use lower case except when a term includes a proper name. Use Arabic cardinal numbers (e.g., 5) and ordinal numbers (e.g., 4th), as appropriate. Record terminology in the language of the catalog record. Include the appropriate diacritical marks. If there is an edition statement on the work, accurately transcribe it in the original language (transliterated into the Roman alphabet when necessary).

For prints or other works issued in multiples at the same time, record a fractional number. Record the impression number, forward slash, and the edition size (e.g., 51/250). For books and other works produced in the context of prior or later issuances, record the number or name of the edition followed by the word edition (e.g., 5th edition). If an edition is both numbered and named, record the name followed by the impression number and edition size (e.g., Sagot and Le Garrec edition, 98/150 ).

If the impression number or edition size is uncertain, clearly indicate this in the display (e.g., probably 34/50). If the edition size is known but the impression number is unknown, record the edition size (e.g., edition of 20).

TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT

Free-text: This is not a controlled field. Maintain consistent capitalization, punctuation, and syntax where possible.

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10.2. Edition Number or Name

DEFINITION

For books and other works produced in the context of prior or later issuances, the identification of the specific edition to which a work belongs.

EXAMPLES


2
subscriber's
Kennedy


DISCUSSION and GUIDELINES

Optional: Record the term for the specific edition to which a work belongs. Terminology can include proper names such as Kennedy edition or terms such as 3rd edition, subscriber's edition, revised edition.

Form and syntax
For published volumes, such as books, portfolios, series, or sets, the edition is expressed as a number in relation to other editions printed. In other cases, a scholar may have identified a series of editions, which have then been numbered sequentially. An edition may also be identified by a name or phrase, such as the Mariette printing or the eighteenth-century French edition.

TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT

Controlled list and controlled format: Control terminology with a list of controlled terminology. For numbers, use whole numbers.

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10.3. Impression Number

DEFINITION

For prints or other works issued in multiples at the same time, the number assigned to a particular item within a specific edition or production run.

EXAMPLES


1
30
241


DISCUSSION and GUIDELINES

Optional: Record the number assigned to a particular item within a specific edition or production run, such as 1, 30, 241.

Form and syntax
Impression numbers are usually expressed as a ratio of the specific number to the total number of prints made, e.g., 1/250. The first number, the number of the impression, should be indicated in this subcategory. The second number, identifying the size of the edition, should be indicated in EDITION - SIZE. Different impressions of a work may be numbered consecutively without an indication of the total number made; this numbering does not necessarily reflect the actual sequence of issuance.

TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT

Controlled format: Whole numbers only.

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10.4. Edition Size

DEFINITION

For prints or other works issued in multiples at the same time, the total number of works created in a particular production run.

EXAMPLES


250
50
1000


DISCUSSION and GUIDELINES

Optional: Record the total number of works created in a particular production run, such as 50, 250, 500.

Form and syntax
Edition size is usually expressed as a ratio of the number of a specific impression to the total number of prints or casts made (e.g., 3/50). The second number, or total number made, should be indicated in this subcategory.

Edition size is usually found in an inscription on the object. "The number 14/75 written on it means the print in question is fourteenth in an edition totaling 75," [3] although not necessarily the fourteenth printed. Sometimes the total number printed or cast is inscribed on the work, as in ed. 50. The stated edition size may differ from the number of works actually made; the full edition may not have been printed or cast, or more works may have been made that were not recorded or described.

TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT

Controlled format: Whole numbers only.

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10.5. Remarks

DEFINITION

Additional notes or comments pertinent to information in this category.

DISCUSSION and GUIDELINES

Optional: Record a note regarding the edition of the work. Use consistent syntax and format. For rules regarding writing notes, see DESCRIPTIVE NOTE.

FORMAT/TERMINOLOGY

Free-text: This is not a controlled field. Use consistent syntax and format.

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10.6. Citations

DEFINITION

A reference to a bibliographic source, unpublished document, or individual opinion that provides the basis for the information recorded in this category.

DISCUSSION and GUIDELINES

Optional: Record the source used for information in this category. For a full set of rules for CITATIONS, see RELATED TEXTUAL REFERENCES - CITATIONS.

TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT

Authority: Ideally, this information is controlled by citations in the citations authority; see RELATED TEXTUAL REFERENCES.

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10.6.1. Page

DEFINITION

Page number, volume, date accessed for Web sites, and any other information indicating where in the source the information was found.

DISCUSSION and GUIDELINES

Optional: For a full set of rules for PAGE, see RELATED TEXTUAL REFERENCES - CITATIONS - PAGE.

FORMAT/TERMINOLOGY

Free-text: This is not a controlled field. Use consistent syntax and format.

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EXAMPLES


[for a print]
Edition Description: 3/20
Impression Number: 3
Edition Size: 20

[for a print]
Edition Description: Sagot and Le Garrec edition, 98/150
Impression Number: 98
Edition Size: 150
Edition Number/Name: Sagot and Le Garrec

[for a book]
Edition Description: 2nd edition
Edition Number/Name: 2

[for a book]
Edition Description: Kennedy edition
Edition Number/Name: Kennedy


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NOTE: The outline numbers are subject to change; they are intended only to organize this document.

Revised 8 September 2008