Auction Name: 2025 December 15 Rare Books Signature® Auction

Lot Number: 45019

Shortcut to Lot: HA.com/6323*45019

[Charles Dickens]. Oliver Twist; or, the Parish Boy's Progress. By "Boz". London: Richard Bentley, 1838.

3 volumes, 12mo (201 x 124 mm). Half-titles in Vol. I and II (as issued); with 4 pp. integral publisher's advertisement at end of Vol. I, and 2 pp. at beginning Vol. III. Etched frontispiece in each volume and 21 plates after George Cruikshank. Original plum fine-diaper cloth, covers decorated with fine arabesques stamped in blind, spine blind-ruled in five compartments, gilt-lettered in two, yellow endpapers, uncut; quarter morocco slipcase.

FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE, with the "Fireside" plate at p. 312 in Vol. III, and authorship ascribed to "Boz" on each title-page. This set with binding variant with the imprint "London/Bentley" present at the foot of the spines, and the list of illustrations is present in Vol. I. Smith states that he was unable to determine priority of issue among 25 copies examined and containing various combinations of these features. Of the 24 plates, 16 have at least a portion of the Bentley imprint visible.

Condition: Vol. I: spine with a tiny repair at each end at corner (small frayed spots filled in with purple cloth); upper edges of rear cover with minor water damage and light discoloration with a little blistering, discreet repairs to rear pastedown including small portion replaced at corner; lower corner extremes of last three leaves (including two ad leaves) slightly chipped. Vols. I-III: spines lightly faded to brown with very minor wear at extremities and slight blistering of cloth; boards a bit rubbed with a few minor spots or soiling; corners and some board edges lightly bumped. Front pastedowns with slight evidence of bookplate removal. Overall, a fine set, with hinges sound in all three volumes and with plates and text uniformly bright and free of foxing or offsetting.

References: Carter, p. 107; Eckel, p. 59-60; Gimbel A27; Smith I: 4.

Provenance: The Library of a Minnesota Collector.

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