LOT #42009 |
Sold on Jul 25, 2024 for: Not Sold
[Charles Dickens]. Sketches by "Boz", illustrative of Every-day Life, and Every-day People [First Series] and Second Ser...
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Description
[Charles Dickens]. Sketches by "Boz", illustrative of Every-day Life, and Every-day People [First Series] and Second Series. London: John Macrone, 1836.2 volumes, 12mo. Etched frontispieces and 14 plates by George Cruikshank. Publisher's embossed dark blue cloth (a variant not noted in Smith or Gimbel), spines lettered in gilt within ornamental shield, original pale yellowish endpapers. Housed together with the Second Series in a quarter morocco folding case.
FIRST EDITION OF DICKENS' FIRST PUBLISHED BOOK, with the Preface dated February 1836, and with "ivce" for "vice," page 336, line 20. "Those to whom the Sketches revealed a new writer saw in them many merits which to us are obscured: they broke entirely new ground, were written in a new style, and despite the frouzy topics, seemed to bring a refreshing breath of reality into the literary atmosphere. Nowadays, the best parts of the book seem to be those which are purely descriptive. Remembering how rare a thing is the ability to depict, really to depict, in words and especially make interesting a description of the everyday, the commonplace, we gladly recognize in Boz's handwork the first proofs of Dickens' extraordinary power" (Gissing, The Immortal Dickens).
Condition: Some minor cloth restoration with some coloring retouched; hinges discreetly repaired. Gutter cracked with old repair at signature H in Vol. II; paper repair to pp. 97-98 in Vol. II; two small abrasions to p. 49 in Vol. II affecting one letter; over-opened in a few places; occasional light toning or soiling. Light foxing to plates. Overall a fine set, very rare in original cloth in this condition.
[With]:
Dickens. Sketches by "Boz", illustrative of Every-day Life and Every-day People, Second Series. London: John Macrone, 1837 [1836].
12mo. 20-page publisher's catalogue dated December 1836 at end. Frontispiece and vignette title and 8 etched plates by George Cruikshank. Original blindstamped salmon cloth, spine lettered in gilt over black pigment patches.
FIRST EDITION, second issue, with the list of illustrations, frontispiece is "Vauxhall Gardens", commas not legible in imprint on plate "The Free and Easy," first page of "Contents" has 17 lines, but with mixed states of plates: some show the early captioning "Vol. III" and some have this already defaced. The last two (later) plates are not present in this copy ("The Last Cabdriver" and "May-day in the evening").
Condition: Some wear, fading and chipping; a little soiling. Some minor foxing to plates.
References: Smith I: 1,2; Eckel pp. 11-13; Sadleir 699, 700.
Auction Info
2024 July 25 Historical Platinum Signature® Auction #6294 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
July, 2024
25th
Thursday
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