Signed by Clarence Snyder - Alcoholics Anonymous First Edition 1st Printing - 1939

Signed by Clarence Snyder: Alcoholics Anonymous First Edition 1st Printing

This is the First Printing of the 1st Edition Big Book from 1939 inscribed and signed by Clarence H. Snyder on title page of his story Home Brewmeister. This book has a reproduction dust jacket that looks great! 

There is an inscription on the front free page to Henry P. dated March 21, 1973 indicating this was a gift on his 4th "birthday from a friend Maggi who, seems to have received a Big Red from Henry as a gift in the past.

This book is inscribed and signed by Clarence H. Snyder from 6/23/73 at the top of the page where his story, "Home Brewmeister" begins. It reads "Best to my new friend Henry- (Henry is my middle name!).... Read and Remember -2nd Cor. 5-17

Clarence H. Snyder 6/23-73”

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Clarence Snyder: A GREAT deal can be said about Clarence Snyder and his contribution to the growth of Alcoholics Anonymous. The following is quoted from the website Big Book Sponsorship.

"Shortly after the publication of the volume, Alcoholics Anonymous (1939), a.k.a “The Big Book”, a third fellowship develops in Cleveland, Ohio (1940). This new fellowship is the first to use the Big Book as a part of their regular practice. A.A. pioneer, Clarence H. Snyder who was taken through the steps by Dr. Bob, modeled a style of one-on-one sponsorship in which a member of the fellowship experienced in the Twelve Step program would take a newcomer, under his wing, help him adjust to sobriety, and coach him through the Twelve Steps. The sponsor and newcomer would meet and work their way through the Big Book together, page by page."

"Cleveland sponsors emphasized the Oxford Group’s Four Absolutes (Honesty, Purity, Unselfishness, Love) and the importance of working with other alcoholics. Due to a sudden swell in membership, newcomers were often put to work taking other newcomers (both one-on-one and beginners’ classes) through the book before they have even finished the Steps themselves. Due to the same swell in membership, Cleveland’s Big Book style sponsorship quickly becomes the most common form of AA." 

"Bill Wilson was constantly amazed at the growth and apparent success that Cleveland was having in sobering up alcoholics. He visited there every time that he went to Ohio. Bill later wrote in A.A. Comes of Age:"

“Yes, Cleveland’s results were of the best. Their results were in fact so good, and A.A.’s membership elsewhere was so small, that many a Clevelander really thought A.A.’s membership had started there in the first place. The Cleveland pioneers had proved three essential things: the value of personal sponsorship; the worth of the A.A.’s Big Book in indoctrinating newcomers, and finally the tremendous fact that A.A., when the word really got around, could now soundly grow to great size.”

"Clarence believed the difference between New York and Mid-West A.A. was the approach to sobriety. In Ohio the approach was, “Trust God, Clean House, and Help Others.” Clarence felt that the approach in New York was, “Don’t Drink and Go To Meetings”. 

"Emphasis on spirituality was what had made Ohio A.A. so successful, according to Clarence. He noticed that New York A.A. had but a few members who were maintaining any sort of abstinence from alcohol, and that most Ohio members had achieved what was to become permanent sobriety and had numerous, strong A.A. meetings in evidence."

"Moreover, Clarence thought that if the primary purpose of A.A. were only to stop drinking and, in order to maintain that abstinence, only go to meetings, A.A. was doomed to failure."

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Learn more about the First Printing:

Bill Wilson and Hank Parkhurst, the two men that spearheaded the book project, wanted to sell the book for $3.50 per copy. That was a very large sum in those days, the equivalent of around $50 today, and people might not think they were getting their money’s worth. They picked the cheapest, thickest paper the printer had, and requested that each page be printed with large margins surrounding the text. This made for an unusually large book. Thus, the book came to be nicknamed the “Big Book.” The First Printing is bigger and thicker than the current Fourth Editions. With AA having very little money in 1939 and the early 1940's, they picked the cheapest materials they could use for printing the book which contributed to the various colors of first editions.

A New York AA member named Ray Campbell; a recognized artist was asked to design the dust jacket. His story, An Artist’s Concept, appears in the First Edition. He submitted various designs for consideration including one which is blue and in an Art Deco style. The one which was chosen was red, and yellow, with a little black, and a little white. The words Alcoholics Anonymous were printed across the top in large white script. It became known as the circus jacket because of its loud circus colors.

There were approximately 4,650 First Printings that were printed in April 1939. For comparison, each of the first 6 printings of the First Edition had approximately 5,000 copies and the Eighth Printing from 1945 had 20,000. With the First Printing being the oldest and most unique of them all, it holds the most value.

The first and maybe most obvious to notice is that the cover on all First Printing books was in the red cloth with the red and yellow circus jacket. During these early days of AA much was done by trial and error. Nearly all AA members at the time were living in poverty including Bill Wilson, he and his wife Lois became homeless in May 1939 and remained without a home of their own until April 1941. Because there was so little money AA tried to cut as many corners as possible when it came to publishing the book. The printer Cornwall Press was so concerned about receiving payment they cut the first printing order short and only produced 4,650 copies of the April 1939 release.  All of these 1939 printings were bound in Red cloth.

Page 1 is the first page of the Doctor’s Opinion. The Doctor’s Opinion is now in the Roman Numeral section at the front of the big book and Page 1 is now the beginning of Bill’s Story. This change happened with the First Printing of the Second Edition.

Despite all their efforts at proofreading, there was a typographical error in the First Printing on page 234, the second and third line from the bottom was printed twice. This was corrected in subsequent printings.
The Appendix gives information about the structure of The Alcoholic Foundation, Trustees, and how to contact Alcoholics Anonymous.

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Stories in the back of the First Printing:

Doctor Bob’s Nightmare – Page 183 by Dr. Bob Smith
The Unbeliever – Page 194 by Hank Parkhurst
The European Drinker – Page 206 by Joe Doeppler
A Feminine Victory – Page 217 by Florence Rankin
Our Southern Friend – Page 226 by John Henry Fitzhugh Mayo
A Business Man’s Recovery – Page 242 by William Ruddell
A Different Slant – Page 252 by Harry Brick
Traveler, Editor, Scholar – Page 254 by Jim Scott
The Back-Sider – Page 265 by Walter Bray
Home Brewmeister – Page 274 by Clarence Snyder
The Seventh Month Slip – Page 282 by Ernie Galbraith
My Wife And I – Page 287 by Tom Lucas
A Ward Of The Probate Court – Page 296 by William Van Horn
Riding The Rods – Page 303 by Charlie Simonson
The Salesman – Page 317 by Bob Ovatt
Fired Again – Page 325 by Wallace Gillam
The Fearful One – Page 332 by Archie Trowbridge
Truth Freed Me! – Page 336 by Paul Stanley
Smile With Me, At Me – Page 340 by Harold Sears
A Close Shave – Page 348 by Henry Zoeller
Educated Agnostic – Page 351 by Norman Hunt
Another Prodigal Story – Page 357 by Ralph Furlong
The Car Smasher – Page 364 by Dick Stanley
Hindsight – Page 370 by Myron Williams
On His Way – Page 375 by Horace Maher
An Alcoholic’s Wife – Page 378 by Marie Bray
An Artist’s Concept – Page 380 by Ray Campbell
The Rolling Stone – Page 386 by Lloyd Tate
Lone Endeavor – Page 391 by Pat Cooper/Ruth Hock (First Printing Only)

Appendix – Page 397

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This book is in extremely good condition for an 85 year old! The red cloth cover is clean and consistent with minimal (if at all) shelf wear.  The gilt lettering on both the cover and the spine is bright and consistent. The binding is original and tight. The only flaw is a small tear of the page stating "Alcoholics Anonymous." 

Please view all the photos for the conditions!