T. S. Eliot was taken on by Geoffrey Faber in 1925 and the first series of 38 Ariel Poems was published between 1927 and 1931. A second series of eight titles published in 1954 was not printed by Curwen. The entries Jzf1–Jzf38 are still not complete. Some revision is needed and it has not been possible to trace and examine some of the variants. The library references for copies examined need to have the limited and ordinary editions distinguished.
The series develops gradually, and the variables are complex enough to demand a spreadsheet. The initial publishers from 1927 are Faber & Gwyer, producing each poem in two different formats. No paging is used.
Most of the poems were produced in two different formats: (a) in a limited edition of 500 or less, sometimes described as the large-paper edition, on Crown 8o hand-made paper; (b) in an ordinary edition of around 2,000 copies on Demy 8o. Neither format has any paging. Square brackets [ ] enclosing an entry or an element in the description warn that it is conjectural and has not been verified in a physical copy.
The series notice and printer's imprint of the ordinary edition could just as well be called a colophon as it appears at the end.
The ordinary edition has no title-pages; its type-setting is identical with that of the limited edition. Note the change in the pattern of publication from nos. 10 and 11 onwards and also the change of publisher's name from no. 18.
A wide variety of type-faces is employed, including several newly introduced to England: Walbaum, Lutetia italic, Kennerley italic; Curwen sans serif; Koch kursiv.
The illustrations in the two formats are also identical (including those in colour. But where there is more than one block, that which is solely in black appears on the front cover of the ordinary edition. The illustrations are an important feature of the series, every issue having 1 or 2 line blocks by young contemporary artists, and making good use of colour printing. Some illustrations use black plus as many as 3 different colours. Apart from conventional line blocks, wood engravings and also lithography are employed.
Casing or paper wrappers are minimal: the ordinary or cheap edition employs on its front wrapper the same type-setting used on the title-page of the more expensive format. This is sometimes called the 'large-paper' edition.