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Charles Dickens. Great Expectations. London: Chapman and Hall, 1861....
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$2,125.00
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Description
Charles Dickens. Great Expectations. London: Chapman and Hall, 1861.3 volumes, 8vo. Publisher's moderate purple wavy-grained cloth, covers decoratively blindstamped on sides, spines stamped in gilt, yellow endpapers, uncut edges (the primary binding); cloth folding case.
FIRST EDITION, fifth impression ("Fifth Edition" on each title) of one of Dickens's most celebrated works. Apparently a mixed issue, with text containing most of the flaws detailed in Smith, except in Vol. III: without the flaws thought to be unique to the Sadleir copy, as well as the "S" not spaced apart on headline on p. 91, the apostrophe in "there's" on p. 173, a hyphen present after "be[tween]" on p. 228, the full stop after the headline on p. 236, and "shackled" correctly spelled on p. 262. Vols. I and II match Margaret Cardwell's Oxford Appendix D notations for the first issue; Vol. III matches that for the fifth issue. Bound without advertisements at end of Vol. III, regarding which Smith notes "some copies of all the first five issues... did not contain catalogue."
The title-pages of Vol. I and Vol. II ("Vol. III" on spine) each have an erasure after the last "I" of their volume numbers (possibly as an attempt to disguise Vol. III titles as Vol. I and II, respectively or to make the misbound volume correspond with its binding in error). Vol. III (Vol. II on spine) has the correct Vol. III title page, with no erasures or alterations.
Condition: Bindings apparently recased and repaired (or reinforced) at ends, endpapers skillfully renewed with coated yellow endpapers (at the time of which Vol. II was misbound in Vol. III casing); spines dulled and darkened; covers rubbed and darkened at edges. Title-page Vol. I along with its conjugate appears to have been reinserted (or replaced) and slightly adhered to front free endpaper verso; volume numbers in Vols. I and II defaced as described above. Occasional minor browning or spotting to text throughout (more apparent in Vol. III).
References: Davis, p. 153; Eckel, p. 91-95; Sadleir 688; Smith I:14; see Clarendon edition of Great Expectations (1993, Appendix D, list C and D).
Provenance: The Library of a Minnesota Collector.
Auction Info
2025 December 15 Rare Books Signature® Auction #6323 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
December, 2025
15th
Monday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 2
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