Charles Dickens. Catalogue 1452

Charles Dickens Catalogue 1452 Maggs Bros Ltd. 2011 [1] The Library of Fiction, or the Family Story-Teller. With fourteen illustrations. First edi...
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Charles Dickens

Catalogue 1452

Maggs Bros Ltd. 2011

[1] The Library of Fiction, or the Family Story-Teller. With fourteen illustrations. First edition in two volumes. 8vo. Original dark greenishblue cross-hatch cloth with blindstamped arabesques on boards, gilt lettering on spines within gilt frames. London, Chapman and Hall. 1836. £3,250 Contains two early works by Dickens: The Tuggses at Ramsgate and A Little Talk about Spring and Sweeps. These two volumes were issued separately and the colours do not match exactly; they display modest wear and staining. Eckel pp.137-139. [2] Sketches by “Boz,” Illustrative of every-day People and everyday Life. [in 2 volumes, with] Sketches by Boz: Second series. Illustrated by George Cruikshank. First editions. 3 volumes. 8vo. Original green mille-feuille cloth and original pink sand-grain cloth, housed together in a handsome early case. London, John Macrone.London. 1836. £20,000

A very attractive set: tape stains to the endpapers of both volumes of the first part, with some foxing, particularly to the early leaves, joints slightly weak, a few splash marks to the bindings, upper fore edge corner bumped, but binding unworn and unsophisticated. The second part also has some very small tape stains to the endpapers and the binding has been skilfully recased, with repair to the head and tail and the upper hinge, although there is still a bit of a gape before the pictorial title page. The first part has the bold contemporary ownership inscription of “F.N. Tyrwhitt-Drake Feb 1836” (the month of publication) on the title pages, with a pencil note below “lent to Reeves”: the Tyrwhitt Drakes, based in Amersham, were one of the wealthiest families of the eighteenth and early nineteenth century, commissioning the beautiful Shardeloes House from architect Stiff Leadbetter, with decoration by the young Robert Adam. The second part has an inscription (still attractive though someone has

attempted to deface the family name) on the front paste-down endpaper “A trifling memento from Robert Fox to his brother Edward Christmas Day 1836.” The Second Series was rushed out for the Christmas trade, and there is a baffling combination of variants, none of which Smith concludes as “having a consistent relationship”. Given that this copy is unambiguously early (the gift inscription is dated only eight days after publication), it is interesting to note that it has no list of illustrations, the plates have the erroneous imprint “Volume III”, and the binding has no black panels on the spine. [3] Sunday under Three Heads. As it is; as Sabbath bills would make it; as it might be made. Frontispiece and two engraved plates by Phiz. First edition. 8vo. Original brown pictorial wrappers. London, Chapman and Hall.1836. £1,000 “Dickens found time in the midst of his work on ‘Pickwick’ to write his views on the freedom of the Sabbath for the poor man and give them form in a printed booklet. ... ‘Sunday under Three Heads’ is one of the scarcest of the minor booklets” (Eckel, pp. 106-107). Wrappers chipped and slightly soiled, spine split, stab-stitching loose. Except for a few minor stains, text and illustrations very clean. Podeschi B30. In a functional early cloth case. [4] The Village Coquettes, a Comic Opera. First edition. Unbound sheets, in five unopened gatherings. London, Richard Bentley. 1836. £2,000 The 71-page book was originally issued in delicate grey boards, which are very seldom seen today. As Eckel notes, in 1894 a cache of about 100 sets of unbound sheets was discovered; this is almost certainly one of those sets. Podeschi A25. Housed in a custom case. [5] Extraordinary Gazette. Engraving by Phiz depicting Dickens leading a struggling porter with supplies of the Miscellany before a delighted public. First edition. 8vo. Original state, as bound into the third issue of Bentley’s Miscellany, original pictorial wrappers. London, Richard Bentley. March 1, 1837. £3,500 Dickens at his iconoclastic, self-mocking best, this squib subtitled Speech of his Mightiness on opening the Second Number of Bentley’s Miscellany edited by “Boz”, is a four page leaflet bound into, and advertising the third number of the periodical, of which he was editor: Dickens himself is of course the “Mightiness”. Because of its separate pagination it was considered by Eckel as a separate publication, and maybe as a result is normally found disbound: as here, still in the periodical and in its original wrappers, it is decidedly rare. Illegible contemporary inscription at top edge of upper wrapper, slight wear and edge crumpling to wrapper, and two inches of spine wrapper missing. Eckel p. 194.

[6] Extraordinary Gazette. With an illustration of Dickens by Phiz. The small format issue. London, Richard Bentley. 1837. £875 The second of two formats in which this text is found, this a smaller, eightpage version with the same illustration and text as well as four pages giving the contents of the first three issues and ‘opinions of the press.’ Condition is very good, with minor browning in the margins and slight wear to the delicate spine edge. Podeschi E33, who says of this issue that it “seems to have been issued separately from the magazine” - this thesis is corroborated by the accompanying boosting text advertising the first three issues. Probably disbound, presumably from an unidentified Bentley publication of the year. In a red cloth folding case of some age, housed in a rather crude modern leather backed case.

[7] The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club. With forty-three illustrations, by R. Seymour and Phiz. First edition. 8vo. Original printed wrappers with a cover by Seymour housed in a handsome green morocco solander box. London, Chapman and Hall. 1836-1837. £6,250

A characteristically confused Pickwick, in very presentable order. The quest for a “Perfect Pickwick”, as defined by Hatton & Cleaver was one of the favourite pastimes of the early twentieth century Dickens collector. Sadly (to modern eyes) the attempt to meet their inflexible prescriptions led to a wholesale trade in swapping and trading, in which not only were issues moved from one set to an another, but individual advertisements and wrappers were moved around in a game of bibliophilic “find the lady”, frequently obscuring evidence of ownership and reading. This set is of mixed issues, with not all the inserts called for in a“Perfect Pickwick” (though it does have the rare “Phrenology made easy” slip), and shows signs of sophistication with some wrappers replaced and some spines repaired: a full collation is available. Podeschi A15. [8] The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club. With forty-three illustrations by R. Seymour and Phiz. First edition, bound from parts. 8vo. Original purple-grey publisher’s cloth, bordered in blind, spine lettered in gilt. London, Chapman and Hall. 1836-1837. £7,500 Bound from parts with some visible stabholes; nineteenth century autograph on page following half-title. No captions on the plates inserted outside pagination, Phiz plates replacing the Buss plates in what was part III. An exceptionally bright and clean copy. Very smooth professional cloth repair along joints and minor recolouring. Hinge repair. Podeschi A16, 11th copy.

[9] Oliver Twist, or, the Parish Boy’s Progress, by “Boz”. In three volumes. First edition, first issue. 8vo. Original reddish-brown fine-diaper cloth. London, Richard Bentley. 1838. £14,500 A very handsome set. There are three issues of this first edition: this is the first, having both the first state title page attributing the work to‘Boz’ and the first ‘Fireside’ plate by George Cruikshank, at the end of volume three, which was cancelled by Dickens and replaced with another plate for the second and third issues. Spines of all three volumes faded, as usual, with bright gilt in good condition; ends of spine and corners slightly bumped, though with scarcely any fraying.Yellow endpapers are intact except for the beginnings of cracking in the rear of the first volume. Bookplates of Philip Greely Brown and small label of M.C. Lang in each volume on the front paste-downs. Podeschi A27. In a quarter-morocco folding case. [10] Characteristic Sketches of young Gentlemen, by Quiz. The whole interspersed with various friendly Hints and useful Suggestions. Illustrations by Hablot K. Browne (as ‘Phiz’). First edition. 8vo. Original purple cloth embossed with a branch-like pattern, with printed front cover label. London, published for the author by William Kidd. 1838. £475 First edition of this anonymous squib, sometimes mistaken for Dickens’ work. Like Dickens’ similarly-titled Sketches of Young Gentlemen it is a satirical riposte to Caswall’s Sketches of Young Ladies, which was published in 1837. Included is a frontispiece plate plus a title page vignette. Spine faded, otherwise a fine, sharp copy, with the bookplates of Kenyon Starling and William Self. Podeschi H379a.

[11] Memoirs of Joseph Grimaldi, edited by “Boz”. With 12 illustrations by George Cruikshank, two volumes. First edition, first issue. 8vo. Original purple-brown cloth with spines pictorially decorated in gilt. London, Richard Bentley. 1838. £5,000 The first issue is identified by the plate in Vol II at p. 238 in its first state, without the“grotesque” border that was later added around Cruikshank’s plate. It also has the 36 page ad catalogue, which is only usually present in the first issue copies. This set is bound in purple-brown vertically-ribbed cloth with gilt clowns decorating the spines; this is usually considered the secondary binding, although (as here) some first issue copies appear in this binding. Condition is remarkably close to fine, with the spine gilt still gleaming, though the binding is slightly cracked at pp.96-97 of volume two.The original pale yellow endpapers remain intact, with an ownership inscription dated 1843 on the front free endpaper of each volume. Foxing on the plates is minor and generally limited to the margins. Matches Podeschi B64 third and fourth copies.

[12] Memoirs of Joseph Grimaldi, edited by “Boz”. With 12 illustrations by George Cruikshank, two volumes. First edition, first issue. 8vo. Original primary binding of floral pattern embossed pink cloth, spines decoratively stamped in gilt. London, Richard Bentley. 1838. £7,500 The first issue is identified by the plate in Vol II at p. 238 in its first state, without the“grotesque” border that was later added around Cruikshank’s plate. Original yellow coated endpapers intact. Minimal soiling or rubbing overall; spines faded, but the boards retain their vibrant pink with clearly embossed flowers. Hinges perfect. Black and white bookplate in Vol. I.Text and plates bright, a near-fine copy. Podeschi B64.

[13] Sketches of young Gentlemen. Dedicated to young Ladies. First American Edition. 16mo. Original dark green cloth with front cover label. Philadelpia, Carey, Lea and Blanchard. 1838. £1,750 One of two candidates for the first American edition - Wiley and Putnam also produced one in the same year. Issued and bound in one small volume with Caswall’s Sketches of Young Ladies, to which it is a response, but both with separate title-pages and pagination. A very good copy: light overall soiling, and a stain to the top and fore-edge corner of the text block. Eckel p. 104. In a cloth-bound folding case. [14] Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, edited by “Boz”. Containing a faithful account of the fortunes, misfortunes, uprisings, downfallings, and complete career of the Nickleby family. With illustrations by Phiz. First edition, in monthly serial parts. 8vo. Original pictorial blue-green wrappers. London, Chapman and Hall. 1838. £3,250 Twenty numbers bound in nineteen, with the “Nickleby portrait” frontispiece after Maclise bound in part XIX. This copy is in first state wherever there is an issue point; the plates in parts I & II,“visiter” for “sister” in part IV on p.123, line 17, and “latter” for “letter” in part V on p.160. The plates for parts I and II bear the publisher’s imprint: later plates do not. The only variances from a ‘Prime Nickleby’ set are that part II has a variant rear wrapper; part III lacks the Amesbury Patent Support ads; and part VIII lacks the last leaf of preliminary ads, plus the “Heads of People” and Mechi ads at the rear. Condition is near-fine. A few parts have minor edgewear; the first part has an early signature and a small bookseller’s sticker on the front wrapper; and some plates have minor marginal foxing. Podeschi A40. Housed in a morocco-backed folding case made by Sangorski & Sutcliffe. [15] Heads from Nicholas Nickleby. Drawings by Miss Lacreevy. 8vo. Original pictorially decorated buff wrappers. London, Robert Tyas. 1839. £850 Complete in six volumes. Each issue contains four portraits of different characters, hence a total of 24 plates in the six monthly issues. There is no text, just the four plates in each issue. Each wrapper is the same except the issue number at the top; No. III’s appears to be a No. II with an extra ‘I’, and No. VI has no number printed, just a“6” entered by hand. Condition is very good: the wrappers of the last part are a bit worn, and the plates in No.V have some foxing.

[16] Oliver Twist, in two volumes. First American edition. 8vo. Original paper-covered boards with rose cloth spines and printed labels. Philadelphia, Lea and Blanchard. 1839. £5,000 Two volumes. This edition has the error that both the last chapter in Vol I and the first chapter in Vol II are numbered XXIX, with the improper numbering then continuing through to the end of the book. This is a very good set, spines faded as always, and one label slightly chipped but little other external wear. Paper browned and foxing slightly in margins, endpapers cracked in Vol I. Podeschi A31. In a folding case.

[17] Sketches by Boz. Forty inserted plates by George Cruickshank. First edition in parts. 8vo. Original pink wrapper with cover design by Cruikshank. London, Chapman and Hall. 1837-1839. £25,000 The thin pink stock for these wrappers does not wear well and some soiling and spotting is inevitable; as expected, the wrappers are a little tired around the edges and the original pink tint has faded. Some paper repair and restoration, especially to XVI, back of XV and XVII. Titlepage (in XX) is re-margined along the top. Plates generally very fresh and clean, though some have edge-browning or light foxing. First issue point (“reeledbefore”) is present on last page of text per Hatton and Cleaver, Eckel p.15. This set is remarkably complete, albeit thanks to several probable substitutions of the wrappers as follows: back of XI from X; front of XII from I; back of XII from VIII; front of XVIII from VIII; back of XVI from XV; back of XVIII may be from another work (?); back of XIX the inside text matches Hatton and Cleaver and the back is a partial re-set of the Chapman and Hall ad on the back outside of VII. Part XX has facsimile wrappers. Chemised in two full green morocco pull off cases.

[18] Master Humphrey’s Clock. With illustrations by George Cattermole and Hablot Browne. First bound edition, in three volumes. 8vo. London, Chapman and Hall. 1840. £875 An excellent, bright copy, tooled in gilt and blind, with usual fading on spines. Glue-marks on the front paste-down of each volume where a bookplate was removed, but virtually no foxing. Podeschi A51. In a folding case. [19] Master Humphrey’s Clock. Illustrated by George Cattermole and Hablot K. Browne. In twenty monthly parts. 8vo. Original illustrated blue paper wrappers. London, Chapman & Hall. 1840. £2,500 An excellent copy, with virtually no foxing of text or plates. All wrappers slightly worn, including some chipping of several spines, but all are remarkably bright and unsoiled. Small bookseller’s label on six parts; Part 11 reads“Part 1.” Part 19 mildly dampstained in bottom margin. Part 20 slightly ragged at the edges, all others clean and attractive. Varies slightly from Hatton & Cleaver in the ads included:Tyas and Rippon ads missing from Part 1; Parts 11, 12, and 16 have one leaf of ads for S.J. Machen of Dublin tipped in at front; Parts 14 and 15 include one leaf of ads at front for Chambers’ London Journal. Podeschi A50. In a cloth folding case. [20] Master Humphrey’s Clock. Illustrated by George Cattermole and Hablot K. Browne. First edition, first issue, original 88 weekly parts. 8vo. Original illustrated cream paper wrappers. London, Chapman and Hall. 1840. £4,250 An attractive set, (though parts 7, 31 and 33 were likely extracted from a subsequent binding). Some very minor soiling and occasional wear to the spines, all edges slightly frayed; only part 1 browned and ragged. With a bookplate laid in loose and an A.L.S from Dickens (1p 8vo., written in brown ink with integral leaf, from Devonshire Terrace and dated 13th October 1840) to an unknown recipient: “Dear Sir: will you give me the pleasure of your company at dinner on Tuesday next... to celebrate the completion of our first volume?”. Podeschi A49.

[21] Illustrations of Master Humphrey’s Clock. 72 plates by Thomas Sibson. First Edition in 18 monthly parts. 8vo. Original light green wrappers. London, Robert Tyas. 1840. £2,500 These are sizeable plates, roughly 7” by 10 1/2”, intended to be bought by readers who could then have them bound up with the text into actual volumes. Some of the plates contain, along with the large image, one or two smaller vignettes, with the result that the 72 plates actually contain a total of 106 images. Each plate bears Tyas’s imprint that includes the month of publication. This is a near-fine set: the second part was bound upside-down within its wrapper and four of the parts (3, 8, 17 & 18) have the issue number and date changed at the time of issue by hand, perhaps by the publisher or his agent, to accommodate shortages of supply, (part 18 also had its price changed by hand, with“completing part” added).The final part has some edge-wear and fading, and the fourth part has a jagged top edge, but the others scarcely have any wear and all are quite clean. Podeschi H1153 is an incomplete set of these illustrations. Bookplate of William Self in the half-roan folding case. [22] Sketches of young Couples. With an urgent remonstrance to the gentlemen of England (being bachelors or widowers), on the present alarming crisis, by the author of “Sketches of Young Gentlemen”. With six illustrations by Phiz. First Edition. 8vo. Original light blue-green pictorial paper-covered boards. London, Chapman and Hall. 1840. £1,500 Sketches of Young Couples was issued as a similarly-bound companion to Dickens’ Sketches of Young Gentlemen, published in 1838. The sketches volumes were unfortunately bound in extremely delicate paper-covered boards, hence most copies today, almost 170 years later, are either rebound or at least rebacked. This volume is in just about fine condition, spine repaired and browned and slight cracking of the joints as usual. The copy of Walter Smith, author of the Dickens bibliography, signed in pencil by him and with a 1965 note from Harry Levinson offering this copy to him. Podeschi B87, second copy. In a custom morocco-backed folding case. [23] Pic Nic Papers by Various Hands. First American edition, in two volumes. 8vo. Original light brown paper-covered boards with red cloth spines and printed labels. Philadelphia, Lea and Blanchard. 1841. £1,500 This book was put together in an effort to provide financial assistance to the widow and children of John Macrone, who had been the English publisher of Dickens’ first book, Sketches by Boz. One can only assume that they got nothing from this American edition. This is a near-fine set of these very fragile volumes with very little wear to the boards or spines,

though the spine labels do have some rubbing; atypically, there is no foxing on the leaves within. Podeschi B110. In a cloth-bound folding case. [24] American Notes for General Circulation. First Edition. 8vo. Original reddish-brown cloth. London, Chapman & Hall. 1842. £5,000 The first state, with the last page of the Contents page in volume 1 numbered xvi (see Eckel, p.108). Cloth is vertically rather than horizontally ribbed and the volume numbers on the spine are in roman rather than arabic numerals. Attractive, near-fine set, spines slightly faded, some corners slightly bumped, original endpapers intact, though hinges are beginning to crack. Black and white bookplate on front pastedown of each volume. Podeschi A66. [25] A Christmas Carol in Prose. Illustrations by John Leech. First edition. 8vo. Original brown cloth decorated in gilt. London, Chapman & Hall. 1843. SOLD Copy in the earliest state of the first issue, with “Stave I” on P. 1 and with the text uncorrected. Title page in blue and red dated 1843, green endpapers, 15mm between the gilt wreath and the left margin, blindstamping on the front cover, with a perfect ‘D’ in ‘Dickens’ in the front cover wreath. Fine, handsome condition, the volume is very slightly askew and there is just the very slightest of rubbing at the extremities. There is an ownership inscription at the top of the half-title and on the front bookplate is a discreet armorial bookplate, signed and dated Dec. 25th 1843. Coloured plates are clean and bright, as is the binding. [26] A Christmas Carol in Prose. Probable first American edition. 8vo. Original light blue-green printed wrappers. New York, Harper & Brothers. 1844. £2,000 It is unknown whether this edition or Carey & Hart’s edition came out first in America, as neither entered the work for copyright and neither publication date is known. It is likely, however, that the Harper edition, issued in wrappers and unillustrated, beat the more elaborate Carey & Hart publication to the streets. The ad leaf preceeds the title leaf and the preface on the verso of the title page, which indicates the second state. Condition is good-to-very good, with some chipping along the edges of the wrappers (though staying within the outer margin), and one almost one-inch tear in the left side of all leaves. Podeschi A81 #3. Housed in a cloth folding case with a leather label. [27] A Christmas Carol in Prose. Illustrated with four hand-coloured, lithographed plates by P.S. Duval after John Leech. Possible first American Edition. 8vo. Original gilt-stamped cream cloth. Philadelphia, Carey & Hart. 1844. £5,000 Title page in red and blue, and with yellow endpapers. Gilt-stamped pattern repeated in blind on back. Slight soiling to covers, original pale

yellow endpapers spectacularly oxidised, extremities skilfully restored, still a near-fine copy of one of the rarest issues of this famous story. With the early bookplate of S. Alofesen (slight offsetting) and the later one of Frank Hogan. Podeschi A80. [28] Martin Chuzzlewit. Illustrations by Phiz. First edition. 8vo. Original blue printed wrappers. London, Chapman & Hall. 1844. £2,750 In the original monthly parts, twenty numbers bound in nineteen. Forty inserted plates, including frontispiece and vignette title. Lacking “The Winter Season” and “The League Fund” ads at back of XII, but has additional booklet“The Eighth Wonder of the World,”not listed in Hatton and Cleaver; also lacking the never-seen slip in part VII. Part XIX/XX has second issue back wrapper but first issue, thirteen-line errata leaf. Wrappers brighter than usual, though most rebacked and a few with ink signatures. Part I and XIX/XX are the most worn with some neat professional paper repair to margins of part I. Plates range from rather foxed to very clean and the text is generally clean as well. A very good near complete copy of this title in parts. Podeschi A71. In a quarter green morocco slipcase over marbled boards. [29] Martin Chuzzlewit. Illustrations by Phiz. First edition in book form. 8vo. Original light blue cloth. London, Chapman & Hall. 1844. £3,000 Variant pattern cloth stock, with blind-stamped pattern on boards and spine. Original yellow endpapers.

Corners a little rubbed and cloth slightly frayed at head and tail of the spine. Front hinge is weak but intact, with some paper repair along hinge. Plates are slightly foxed and signature M slightly sprung, despite these flaws a much better looking copy than is usual, with the cloth being particularly clean. Textual flaws match those called for as first issue, though the errata leaf is of the 14-line setting, which quickly replaced the first issue 13-line setting. Podeschi A72. [30] The Battle of Life a Love Story. First edition. 8vo. Original red cloth pictorially decorated in gilt. London, Bradbury & Evans. 1846. £1,500 Dickens’ fourth Christmas book. In near-fine condition with very minor wear at the spine ends and cracked endpapers.The front pastedown bears an ownership signature dated Dec. 19, 1846. The vignette title page is in the second state, bearing “A Love Story” on a banner, without an angel, above the publisher’s imprint. Eckel pp. 121-122. [31] The Battle of Life a Love Story. First edition. 8vo. Original red cloth pictorially decorated in gilt. London, Bradbury & Evans. 1846. £1000 A bright, attractive copy but with the front endpaper slightly cracked. The vignette title page in the fourth and usual state, with an angel holding the banner and with no publisher’s imprint. Eckel pp. 121-122. [32] The Cricket on the Hearth. A Fairy Tale of Home. First edition. 8vo. Original red cloth pictorially decorated in gilt. London, Bradbury & Evans 1846. £1,200 With the advertisement leaf in the first state, with the phrase“No. I of” at the end of the second line. Binding very slightly skewed, trivial wear to the extremities of the binding, and two early ownership inscriptions on the front free endpaper, but a lovely bright copy nonetheless. Podeschi A92. [33] The Cricket on the Hearth. A Fairy Tale of Home. First edition. 8vo. Original red cloth pictorially decorated in gilt. London, Bradbury & Evans. 1846. £1,000 Ad leaf in the second and usual state, with“No. I. of” on a line by itself. A handsome unworn copy, with a few tiny ink stains on the front cover, and a large and ungainly bookplate, the offence of which is doubled by matching glue residue on the lower paste-down suggesting that it had originally been placed there. Podeschi A92. In a marbled paper and red morocco folding case.

[34] The Cricket on the Hearth a Fairy Tale of Home. Early, possibly first [the Wiley & Putnam edition was published pretty simultaneously], American edition. 8vo. Original brown wrappers lettered in black. New York, Harper & Brothers. 1846. £1,000 Near-fine copy of this delicate volume with only minor wear at the spine ends, moderate foxing inside and a faint dampmark on the rear cover. Podeschi A93. In a cloth folding case. [35] The Cricket on the Hearth.A Fairy tale of Home. Early, possibly first American edition. 8vo. Original brown wrappers lettered in black. New York, Wiley & Putnam. 1846. £450 A few small chips in the front and rear wrapper edge and a small damp mark at the upper fore-corner of the front cover. Ownership inscriptions of two generations of the same Boston family, one in ink on the front cover, one on the title page. Podeschi A94. In a cloth folding case. [36] Oliver Twist or, the parish boy’s progress. With twenty-four illustrations on steel, by George Cruikshank. A new edition, revised and corrected. 8vo. Original blue-green fine-diaper cloth stamped in blind, spine decoratively gilt, with an ornamental wreath stamped in gilt on front cover and in blind on back cover. London, Bradbury and Evans. 1846. £1,500 Original pale yellow endpapers. Minimal professional restoration to spine. Hinges starting. Former owner’s leather booklabel on front pastedown. Minor browning to plates. Overall a near-fine copy of the octavo edition, scarce in original cloth. Podeschi A39. [37] Oliver Twist. With twenty-four illustrations on steel, by George Cruikshank. A new edition, revised and corrected, ten monthly parts. 8vo. Original wrappers. London, Bradbury and Evans. 1846. £22,500

This monthly edition of Oliver Twist was not issued until eight years after the novel had first been published as a three-decker. The twentyfour plates are those used for the original Bentley edition, re-touched, re-bitten and ‘enhanced’ by the engraver Findlay, and with the Bentley imprints erased. This set collates nearly perfectly, with some swapping of back covers, as is unfortunately common. All plates are present, the 24th being Oliver and Miss Mailie standing at Agnes’s tomb, rather than the earlier (canceled) ‘Fireside’ plate present in the first issue of the first edition. Plates and text are generally quite clean; wrappers have some paper restoration and some spot soiling, but overall soiling is minimal. Podeschi A38. In a dark blue morocco folding case. [38] Pictures from Italy. With vignette illustrations on wood by Samuel Palmer. First edition of Dickens’s account of his 1844 tour of Italy. 8vo. Original blue cloth. London, Bradbury and Evans. 1846. £850 In the primary (fine-diaper cloth) binding; copies were also issued in ribbed cloth of the same colour. A handsome copy, just about fine (some flaking of the spine gilt). Podeschi A98. [39] The Battle of Life Early American edition. 8vo. Original brown printed wrappers. New York, Harper & Brothers. 1847. £1,000 29 double-column pages, near-fine condition with very little wear to the wrapper, however with a dampmark down in the lower margin of the earlier leaves. In a cloth folding case with leather label. [40] The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club. With “Address” to the reader. First ‘cheap’ edition, in 8 monthly parts. 8vo. Original blue printed wrappers. London, Chapman & Hall. 1847. £3,500 A remarkable set of a fascinating edition which illuminates the commercial world of mid nineteenth century publishing, in more or less fine condition, unrestored but for the lower fore-edge corner of the upper wrapper of the first part, with the same contemporary ownership inscription on the upper wrapper of each part. The parts carry less advertising than the original edition, a “Pickwick Advertiser” in II, III, V, VI & VIII, and inserts at the end of I, II, III and VIII. Eccentrically, the last of these monthly issues also contains (presumably with an eye to binding up) the title page, preliminary leaves and a longer introduction to Pickwick, as well as the first part of the weekly issue of Nicholas Nickleby though without a title page and unmentioned on the wrapper.

This cheap edition (in a slightly smaller page size and printed without the original plates, though a volume of six plates could be purchased to accompany a set) was available in both weekly and monthly parts, the first volume with a brief but splendid Address by Dickens in which he talks of the “re-production in a shape which shall render them easily accessible as a possession by all classes of society.” Extremely rare in this state and condition. Podeschi D5. In a cloth case. [41] Six Illustrations to the Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club. Engraved from original drawings by Phiz. First appearance of these illustrations. Original light green printed wrappers. London, Darton & Clark, N.D. [1847.] £275

Produced to accompany the“cheap edition” of Dickens’ Pickwick Papers, the first of his works to be published (in wrappered parts) in that series. This ‘volume’ consists simply of six plates by Browne, with protective tissues, bound into the printed green wrapper; it was sold to subscribers of the cheap edition in parts, whose wrappered appearance it mimics. Scarce in original wrappers and in near fine condition here (some wear along the delicate spine, but unusually clean). [42] Dombey and Son. Forty inserted plates, including frontispiece and vignette title, by H.K. Browne. First edition in original monthly parts, twenty numbers bound in nineteen. 8vo. Original green printed wrappers. London, Bradbury and Evans. 1848. £2,500 Collates according to Hatton and Cleaver, except for minor variances in ads (none missing but several extras: details or full collation available upon request). First issue of part XI, with uncorrected ‘Capatin’ on page 324, and mixed issues of XIV with ‘if’ omitted on page 426 but with

pagination on 431.‘Advertiser’ in part XIII in first state with unbroken ‘October.’ Preliminaries in XIX/XX with first state two-line ‘errata.’ Some spines rebacked with minor paper repairs to a few. Wrappers very fresh overall, a sharp, clean, fresh set. Plates are excellent throughout. Podeschi A102. In a blue quarter-morocco folding case. [43] Dombey and Son. Forty inserted plates, including frontispiece and vignette title, by H.K. Browne. First edition. 8vo. Original olive green finediaper cloth. London, Bradbury and Evans 1848. £2,750 Blindstamped according to the primary pattern called for on ‘David Copperfield’, ‘Bleak House’ and ‘Little Dorrit’. Spine slightly faded, bookplate on front pastedown, endpapers cracking and spine just starting, but otherwise an excellent copy with text and plates quite clean. Podeschi A103. [44] Dombey and Son the Four Portraits. Engraved under the superintendence of R. Young and H.K. Browne, from designs by Hablot K. Browne, and published with the sanction of Mr. Charles Dickens. Four portaits on four plates, of Edith, Florence, Alice and little Paul by H.K. Browne. 8vo. Original light green printed wrapper. London, Chapman & Hall. 1848. £200 This is one of two “extra-illustration” pieces issued by Chapman & Hall during or just after their serialization of Dickens’ Dombey and Son. Condition is very good as the plate images are clean and sharp; the spine of the wrapper is taped on the inside, but is quite whole.These peripheral Dickens pieces are much scarcer than the actual Dombey serial parts themselves. Eckel p. 76.

[45] Dombey and Son full length portraits. Full-length portaits in eight plates, designed and etched by Hablot K. Browne and published with the sanction of Mr. Charles Dickens. 8vo. Original light green wrapper. London, Chapman & Hall. 1848. £250 Condition is very good, as the plate images are clean and sharp, with only minor browning in the marginal edges. The spine of the wrapper is unnecessarily reinforced on the inside, but is quite whole. Eckel p. 76.

[46] Dombey and Son. Illustrations by H.K. Browne. First American edition in the original parts. 8vo. Original brownish-grey wrappers printed in black. New York,Wiley & Putnam. 1848. £5,000 Twenty monthly parts in nineteen. Total of 36 plates (two in each part except for the first). Condition is fine, a bit of minor chipping in the spine wrappers and part XV has a largely-marginal dampstain on several adjacent leaves. Loose bookplate of B. George Ulizio (from the major sale of his collection in January 1931), and later bookplates of Kenyon Starling and William Self. Podeschi A104. Housed in a cloth folding case. [47] The Haunted Man and the Ghost’s Bargain. A fancy for ChristmasTime. First edition. 8vo. Original red cloth pictorially decorated in gilt. London, Bradbury & Evans. 1848. £1,500 The fifth and final Christmas book. The first page numeral on p.166 is undamaged, which is the only identifiable issue point of this book. Binding slightly tilted, but that apart, this is a bright, attractive copy, with a neat gift inscription “from her dear grandfather Christmas 1848.” Podeschi A119.

[48] The Personal History of David Copperfield. Illustrations by H.K. Browne. First edition. 8vo. Original green cloth. London, Bradbury & Evans. 1850. £7,500 Forty inserted plates including the frontispiece and engraved title. Binding variant usually seen on copies bound from the parts, olive green cloth faded to honey brown on the spine. Off-white uncoated endpapers, no cracking. Minor rubbing, with a centre crease on the spine and rubbed tips. Text and most plates very bright; a few plates with minor usual browning. Podeschi A122.

[49] The Personal History of David Copperfield. First edition. 8vo. London, Bradbury & Evans. 1849. £10,500 As issued in the original monthly parts, twenty numbers bound in nineteen parts.A fine complete set, which collates perfectly with all points and ads according to Hatton & Cleaver. Wrappers bright, clean and only very slightly edge-worn and only the slightest of spine chipping.Text and plates display very little foxing. Overall a remarkably attractive copy. Podeschi A121. In a folding case. [50] Guild of Literature and Art. Prospectus of a new endowment, in connection with an insurance company, for the benefit of men of letters and artists. First edition. 8vo. Original unstitched self-wrappered 16-page booklet. London, Bradbury & Evans. 1851. £3,200 The Guild of Literature and Art was an institution established by Dickens and Edward Bulwer Lytton for the benefit of authors, actors and artists who fall upon hard times. This Prospectus was never ‘published’ as such; instead it was distributed to members of the Guild. Condition is very good, there are three small stab holes near the spine, indicating that this was once bound into something and there is wear along the ‘spine’, (which is to say the fold of the outer most leaf).

[51] Bleak House. With illustrations by“Phiz”. First edition. 8vo. Original blue printed wrappers. London, Bradbury & Evans. 1852. £3,500 In original monthly parts as issued, twenty numbers bound as nineteen. Wrappers are bright and only very lightly soiled, with spines nearly all intact. Plates slightly foxed, especially around edges, but excellent condition overall. Contents collated perfect to Hatton and Cleaver including all points and ads, notably the elusive“Village Pastor”ad in part 15, which is all too often lacking. Five parts bear signature on top right of wrapper:“Mr. E. Brown for[?]” on part VI,“W Todd” on part X and “W. Dyke” on part XIII; slight remains of a small label on front cover of part VII. Podeschi A130. In a pull off case. [52] The Keepsake “to be read at Dusk”. With beautifully finished engravings, from drawings by the original artists. First edition. 8vo. Original red cloth elaborately decorated in gilt and blind, all edges gilt. London, David Bogue. 1852. £1,500 First appearance of the ghost story ‘To be Read at Dusk’ by Dickens. Engravings done under the superintendence of Mr. Frederick A. Heath. Dated 1852 on both the printed title page and on the spine (as well as on the vignette title page), indicating the first issue. With the bookplate of Lord Esher, and one other. Condition is near-fine, with slight wear at the spine ends. Podeschi E120. In a quarter morocco folding case.

[53] A Child’s History of England. Frontispiece by F.W. Topham. First edition, first issue, in three volumes. 8vo. Original blindstamped rosebrown cloth, with cover vignette in gilt. London, Bradbury & Evans. 1852. £5,000 Blue-and-red-on-white marbled endpapers, with page edges to match. A remarkably fine set: virtually no wear, the cover gilt remains bright and unrubbed, the endpapers are not cracked and there is no foxing. Two covers bear a faint droplet-mark and there is minor variation in the hue of the rose-brown cloth, but otherwise this set is close to flawless. Podeschi A128.

[54] Christmas Books. First ‘cheap’ edition. 8vo. Original blindstamped olive green cloth with gilt decorated spine. London, Chapman & Hall. 1852. £1,000 The first English collected edition of all five of Dickens’ Christmas books. Chapman & Hall began issuing Dickens’s works in the ‘cheap’ edition in 1846, issuing them in monthly and in weekly parts; they concluded the ‘cheap’ edition with this title in 1852. A nearly fine copy with a bump at the head of the spine but scarcely any other wear. See Podeschi D5. In a leatherbound folding case. [55] The Christmas Books. First ‘cheap’ Edition, four monthly parts. 8vo. Original light blue-green printed wrappers. London, Chapman & Hall 1852. £1,500 The first English collected edition of all five of Dickens’ Christmas books, which were parts 49-52 of the overall monthly ‘cheap’ series published by Chapman & Hall. Very good condition.The first and last part have some chipping at the ends of the spine wrappers and the spine of the second part is somewhat askew, although overall the wrappers remain quite clean and whole. Sandwiched bizarrely between blindstamped green cloth boards that match the stamping pattern of the original cloth binding (see #53). Though copies of The Christmas Books in original cloth are not uncommon, copies still in the monthly wrappered parts are scarce. See Podeschi D5. [56] Bleak House. With illustrations by H.K. Browne. First edition. 8vo. Original olive green cloth. London, Bradbury & Evans. 1853. £5,000 Primary binding with blindstamping that includes sixteen little beads around each cover’s outer margin. Near-fine condition, although the spine is sunned to a honey brown and while the binding remains tight the endpapers are cracked. Podeschi A131. In a cloth folding case. [57] Bleak House. With illustrations by H.K. Browne. First American edition in book form. 2 volumes. 8vo. Original blue cloth with giltdecorated spines. New York, Harper & Brothers. 1853. £950 Included are the 37 wood engravings plus the steel-engraved frontispiece portrait of Dickens that had appeared in the serial issue parts. Good or better condition, minor cover soil and edge-wear, general foxing on the textual leaves but not the plates. Original endpapers remain firm and uncracked, both volumes are still completely tight despite their thickness. Podeschi A133.

[58] Hard Times for these Times. First edition. 8vo. Original primary binding of horizontally-ribbed olive moiré cloth, blocked in blind, spine lettered in gilt, yellow coated end papers. London, Bradbury & Evans. 1854. £2,250 Some typical fading to spine and extremities, small rip at top of back hinge, minor staining to back cover and light intermittent foxing but generally clean and bright, overall an excellent copy. Never issued in monthly parts, Hard Times was first published serially in ‘Household Words’ from April 1 - August 12, 1854. Laid in is a portion clipped from the front of an envelope, signed ‘Charles Dickens’ at the lower left and addressed in the centre “Mr. Hicks/Messrs. Bradbury and Evans”. Podeschi A136. In a quarter green morocco folding case. [59] Hard Times for these Times. First edition. 8vo. Original blindstamped olive green cloth. London, Bradbury & Evans. 1854. £2,250 This copy is in the first of the four binding states, in olive green cloth with “price 5/-” at the foot of the spine. A bright attractive copy, in fine condition, but for one tiny pinhole in the cloth of the rear joint. As always with this colour cloth, the spine has browned with age. Ownership inscription dated Christmas 1854 on half-title. Podeschi A136. [60] Little Dorrit. With illustrations by H.K. Browne. First edition in original monthly parts. 8vo. Original light blue-green wrappers. London, Bradbury and Evans. 1855. £2,500 Twenty numbers bound in nineteen, lacking only one leaf of one “Little Dorrit Advertiser” in the entire set. Part XV has the first and usual reading “Rigaud”, later changed to “Blandois.”The wrappers are all quite clean, with as usual a bit more soil and wear to the first and last parts, however with no repair to the wrappers, save for a small piece of cellotape on the spine of the last number. Some of the spines are chipping slightly, but the majority are intact. The forty plates by Phiz are all quite clean, with less-than-usual foxing and only marginal darkening, (the plates in one number have a faint dampmark). In all, in excellent condition. Podeschi A140. Housed in a cloth slipcase with inner chemise. [61] Little Dorrit. With illustrations by H.K. Browne. First edition, as issued in the original monthly parts. 8vo. Original printed blue wrappers, designed by Phiz. London, Bradbury and Evans. 1855. £2,500 Twenty numbers bound in nineteen, collates perfectly with Hatton and Cleaver; all “Little Dorrit Advertisers” complete, all inserts, all back ads. Part seven includes an additional 2 page ad for Cassell’s Illustrated History of England; all ads at rear of part 7 are doubled. Text of part 15 is of first issue, using the name“Rigaud”, and part 16 includes the apology for the error. This set has the typical rebacking, and some slight fraying to edges. Minor dampstaining in parts 1 and 6; dampstained edges in part 17. A 1/2” tear to plate #6,“Making Off”. Plates are nice and clean throughout, even frontispiece and vignette title. Text is generally bright; dampstaining in part 17. Podeschi A140. Housed in a quarter blue morocco fold-down-back box.

[62] A Tale of two Cities. Illustrated by H.K. Browne. First edition, original state. 8vo. London, Chapman & Hall. 1859. £22,500 Eight numbers bound in seven, with p.213 printed “113.” Collates very closely to Hattton and Cleaver, lacking only the ads at the rear of part I, and with variant ads at the rear of part II. Includes the rare “Cornhill Magazine” leaf in part 7-8.A very bright, unsophisticated copy, edges only slightly worn and spines nearly intact, though with a 1” tear in the cover of part 2. Minimal foxing to plates. Podeschi A142. Housed in a quarter morocco slipcase. [63] A Tale of Two Cities. With illustrations by H.K. Browne. First edition. 8vo. Original publishers primary binding of red cloth, board blocked in blind, spine in blind and gilt. London, Chapman and Hall. 1859. £15,000 Endpapers possibly re-placed at a very early date. Very little wear or soiling: cloth and gilt still pleasingly bright, embossing clearly visible on front and rear covers. A small crease runs up the spine and the corners are slightly bumped with the very faintest hints of imminent fraying. Page 213 has corrected numbering, indicating the second state, reading ‘213’ rather than ‘113’. Plates very lightly foxed; text clean. Overall a very good copy.

[64] A Curious Dance round a Curious Tree. First edition. 8vo. Original printed wrappers, serving as title. London, St. Luke’s Hospital. [1860.] £1,200 The second issue, with the simpler cover border and the bold last paragraph.A very clean copy, with only very slight wear along the delicate spine. The leaflet was once folded vertically as is apparent with all issued copies. Eckel pp.189-191. In a folding, morocco-backed case. [65] The Uncommercial Traveller. First edition. 8vo. Original blindstamped violet cloth. London, Chapman and Hall. 1861. £3,000 During 1860 Dickens created the persona of“the uncommercial traveller” as a means of connecting these seventeen disparate contributions to “All the year round”, the weekly periodical he edited (and had founded).As he notes in the preface here,“The series is, for the time, complete; but it is the uncommercial traveller’s intention to take the road again before another winter sets in.” No further volume appeared. This is a near-fine copy (as always with this colour cloth, the spine is faded to a honey brown). The front endpaper bears a neat February 1861 inscription, the rear endpaper is slightly cracked, and there are a couple of tiny nicks in the spine ends; the ornate spine gilt remains bright, the distinctive blindstamping on the (slightly faded) violet covers remain clear and sharp, and there is no foxing on the leaves within. Copies of this edition have now become quite scarce. Podeschi A145. [66] Great Expectations. First edition. 3 vols. 8vo. Original purple cloth binding. London, Chapman and Hall. 1861. £60,000 Great Expectations in original cloth is one of the hardest challenges for the Dickens collector, as the majority of the first edition was purchased by lending libraries, and subsequently re-bound due to wear.Additionally there was a substantial cottage industry in the 1920s and 1930s in converting later printings into “first editions”, which was done by the simple expedient of printing up and inserting new title pages: this makes it doubly important that (as here) the text is in the first state. Wave-grain purple cloth still bright on boards, spines and upper edges slightly sunned, with upper spines of volumes I and III re-backed. Endpapers cracked and hinges starting on outside of all three volumes. Some rubbing on boards, especially on front of vol. I and rear of vol. III, as expected. Corners slightly rubbed or bumped. Faint marks from removed library labels on front covers. Collates perfectly to all first edition points in Eckel, and to all typographic first issue points identified in Margaret Cardwell’s introduction to the 1993 Clarendon Edition of Great Expectations A full collation is available upon request. Podeschi A146. In a quarter-morocco folding case.

[67] Great Expectations Household edition. Illustrated from drawings by F.O.C. Darley and John Gilbert. First U.S. Edition [?] 2 vols. 8vo. Original dark green cloth. New York, James G. Gregory. 1861. £3,500 Research by Kevin MacDonnell suggests that this edition, part of Gregory’s Household Edition of the Works of Charles Dickens, precedes the edition published by Peterson of Philadelphia. Peterson’s edition includes a statement that his is the only edition for which Dickens was compensated, which has long been taken as evidence of his being the first American edition. However, James G. Gregory entered a two volume set of Great Expectations for copyright in New York on August 26th of 1861, just weeks after the Harper serialization ended; Peterson did not enter his one-volume edition until November 8th of 1861. These two volumes are in bright, near-fine condition (a tiny bit of wear at the spine heads, discreet blindstamp of the original Troy NY bookseller on the front free endpaper.) Podeschi D38. [68] Our Mutual Friend. First edition. 4 volumes. 8vo. Original blindstamped dark brown cloth with spine lettering and vignettes in gilt. New York, John Bradburn. 1864. £15,000 A great rarity, in sparkling condition. This is the first edition, on either side of the Atlantic, to be published in book form: it was published in four separate “books,” each as soon as possible, from the serial copy in England. This Bradburn edition includes eighteen wood engraving plates, after some of the forty originals done by Marcus Stone for the English serialization. The bindings for all four volumes are uniform, though the endpapers of the first two are pale yellow while those of the last two are pale peach - all original. The condition of all four volumes is very good to near-fine, with minor shelf-wear to the binding extremities including slight loss to one headcap, and the rear cover of Vol. II a little spotted and Vol. IV with a bookplate of a Dickens fellowship. Podeschi A153. In two cloth folding cases.

[69] Our Mutual Friend. With illustrations by Marcus Stone. First edition, in two volumes. 8vo. Original purplish-brown sand-grain cloth, stamped in blind, spine decoratively stamped and lettered in gilt. London, Chapman and Hall. 1865. £3,500 Pale yellow coated endpapers. Extremities very slightly bumped, but copy still shows only minimal wear; there is virtually no fading to cloth on boards and just a little fading on spines. Front hinge on Vol. I starting. Overall a near-fine copy, nice and bright throughout. Podeschi A150. [70] Our Mutual Friend. With illustrations by Marcus Stone. First edition, two volumes in one. 8vo. Original blindstamped olive green cloth. London, Chapman and Hall. 1865. £2,250 For this two volumes in one issue Chapman & Hall replaced the dated title pages with an undated pictorial title page (from the serial wrapper design). The C&H address on the pictorial title page reads the original “Piccadilly” (rather than the later “Henrietta Street”), indicating an earlier copy. The volume is in just about fine condition; the cloth spine (and part of the rear cover) is a bit sunned, as usual with this colour, and the rear original peach endpaper is slightly cracked. The leaves, and especialy the plates, are bright and have little foxing. This two-inone original binding, though later than the two seperate volumes, is considerably scarcer. Podeschi A150, fourth and fifth copies. [71] Sketches of young Couples, young Ladies, young Gentlemen by Quiz. Illustrated by H.K. Browne (as ‘Phiz’). First collected edition of three ‘sketches’. 8vo. Original bright green cloth decorated in gilt, black and red, beveled. London, Cassell, Petter and Galpin and 596 Broadway, New York. 1869. £450 All three books were originally illustrated (as here) by Hablot K. Browne. Sketches of Young Ladies was pseudonymously written by Edward Caswall, and the two subsequent were written by Dickens as ripostes.This is an attractively bright copy (very slight wear at the corners, endpapers cracked, early typed description tipped in before the frontispiece). Bookplates of Kenyon Starling and William Self. Podeschi D56.

[72] Hunted Down, a Story. With some account of Thomas Griffiths Wainewright, the Poisoner. First English edition. 8vo. Original light green pictorial wrappers. London, John Camden Hotten. 1870. £1,250 First printed in The New York Ledger for August and September 1859, and in All the Year Round for April, 1860. It was also published with The Lamplighter’s Story in Philadelphia in 1861 [q. v. ]. Very slight wear to the spine, and a few ink spots to one corner of the front cover, otherwise fine in a morocco-backed folding box with the bookplates of Kenyon Starling and William Self. Eckel pp.198-199. [73] Edwin Drood. 14 wood-engraved plates by Luke Fildes. First edition in original parts. 8vo. Original blue-green wrappers. London, Chapman & Hall. 1870. £750 Complete in original 6 parts, rebacked or with repairs to rear cover of part 6 at edges. Several parts re-backed as usual. Wrappers are largely clean and not only slightly at the edges; plates are bright and nearly free of foxing. Earliest issue of part 6. A fine set, collates near-perfect to Hatton & Cleaver, with all Edwin Drood Advertisers complete and all ads at rear present but one: part V is lacking the 8 page Chapman & Hall insert at the end. However, part II does have the well-known Cork Hat ad, printed on a sheet of cork and bound in at the end, and part four has the remaindered Chapman & Hall ads from part III bound in the rear in addition to its usual ads, as approximately 10% of the copies do. Podeschi A154. In red cloth folding case, spine faded. [74] The Mystery of Edwin Drood. With twelve illustrations by S.L. Fildes, and a portrait. First edition in book form. 8vo. Original blindstamped green cloth. London, Chapman & Hall 1870. £1,350 In the third, and much the rarest of the three original binding states, the other two being in brighter green cloth decorated in black. Unusually handsome copy, essentially fine. Podeschi A155. [75] The Mystery of Edwin Drood. With twelve illustrations by S.L. Fildes, and a portrait. First edition. 8vo. Primary bright green fine bead-grain cloth, front blocked in black & gilt with dog-tooth border, back in black, spine in black & lettered in gilt. 1870. £675 Bright copy of the first issue cloth. Spine slightly cocked, corners bumped and slight wear at heand and tail of the spine, but overall an excellent copy. Podeschi A155. [76] ANONYMOUS. John Jasper’s Secret. Being a narrative of certain events following and explaining “the mystery of Edwin Drood”. With twenty illustrations. First edition in the 8 monthly parts. 8vo. Original pictorial blue wrappers. London, Wyman and Sons. 1871. £3,000 A “perfect set” has a leaf or two of ads at the beginning of the first three parts, plus a few leaves of ads at the end of the first five parts.This set has no such ads and appears to never have had them. It does, however, have

the‘prospectus’ leaf at the beginning of the first part, in which the‘writers’ of John Jasper’s Secret explain the circumstances. Generally in very good condition, however the rear wrapper of the second part has been replaced with matching blue paper, but otherwise all proper original wrappers are present.The first and last part are somewhat edge-worn. An imperfect set but still very scarce in original wrappered parts. Podeschi H330. Housed in a morocco-backed folding case. [77] Is She His Wife? Or, Something Singular, a comic Burletta in one Act. Third edition. 8vo. Original green cloth decorated in black. Boston, James R. Osgood and Co. 1877. £850 The only known copy of the true first edition (from which Osgood printed this edition) was destroyed in the Boston fire of 1879, and there are only three known copies of the second edition (London circa 1873). This is a fine copy – binding slightly tilted, but essentially without wear. Podeschi B62. In a quarter-morocco custom case. [78] Mr. Nightingales’s Diary a Farce in one Act. 8vo. Original terra-cotta cloth decorated in black. Boston, James R. Osgood and Co. 1877. £1,250 This is a bright, near-fine copy: minor rubbing at the tips, quite uncommon in this condition. Podeschi B215. In a marbled paper and leather folding case.

[79] [JEVONS (Shirley Byron)]. A Great Mystery Solved; being a sequel to The Mystery of Edwin Drood. by GillanVase First edition. 3 vols. 8vo. Original pale blue cloth blocked in black and lettered in gilt. London, Remington and Co. 1878. £5,000 An anonymously written sequel to The Mystery of Edwin Drood. It was described by George Gadd writing in The Dickensian in 1905 as “immeasurably the best of the story continuations” , although it must be said that Gadd also misrepresented the sex of the author, in describing him as “a lady of some literary reputation in the North of

England”. Jevons was in fact a male Shirley, editor of the Sportsman magazine, and friend of the author Jeffrey Farnol.This set is in very good condition, only minor sunning of the spines, bindings slightly askew, a bit of soil and rubbing, but withal a quite attractive set. It is the rarest of the contemporary completions of Drood, especially in such attractive condition as here. [80] The Lamplighter a Farce. Now first printed from a Manuscript in the Forster Collection at the South Kensington Museum. First edition, one of 250 numbered copies. 8vo. Original light blue-grey wrappers. London, S.I. 1879. £1,000 An excellent copy, with a short repaired tear to the lower wrapper, in an early cloth folding case. Bookplates of Kenyon Starling and William Self, and with a note (presumably by Starling) of its purchase from Gabriel Wells, bookseller, for $10 in 1922. Podeschi B80. [81] The Mudfog Papers, Etc. Now first collected. First edition in book form. 8vo. Original red cloth decorated in black. London, Richard Bentley and Son. 1880. £950 Early satires on learned societies, first published in Bentley’s Miscellany in 1837 and 1838, and here first collected as the 13th volume of Bentley’s “Empire Library”. Joints weakening, but a really excellent, unfaded, unworn copy of a modestly produced book, with the bookplates of three of the great Dickens collectors: Alain De Suzannet, Kenyon Starling, and William Self. Eckel p.175. [82] The Life of our Lord. Collector’s edition. 8vo. Original full vellum. London,Arthur Barker Limited. 1934. £475 Limited to 250 numbered copies printed in two colours on Barcham Green’s “chester” hand-made paper and bound in full vellum. A near-fine copy, the leaves unopened and with the original blue silk marker ribbon (albeit unattached); the only flaws being the virtually inevitable minor warping of the true vellum binding and minor browning caused by the original tissue guards.The rear endpaper bears the pencil inscription“gift of Estelle Doheny”, whose remarkable collection was sold at auctions spread out over two years during the late 1980s. Smith pp.94-96. In a quarter-morocco cloth folding case. [83] The Life of our Lord. First edition. 8vo. Original dark blue leather, with dust jacket. London,Associated Newspapers. 1934. £100 Deluxe issue of first edition bound in blue leather. A near-fine copy; the jacket has one closed tear and is slightly darkened on the spine, but is nearly fine as well. Smith II pp.94-96.