[Charles Dickens, editor]. The Pic Nic Papers. By Various Hands. Edited by Charles Dickens, Esq.... With Illustr... (Total: 3 Items)

Description

Dickens Triple Decker in Publisher's Cloth

In this copy, Volume III is printed by Whiting and has one leaf instead of two in gathering [A] (with "Contents of the Third Volume" on the verso of the title page).

Volume I with printer's imprint on the verso of the title page: London: Printed by G. J. Palmer, Savoy Street, Strand, and at the foot of p. 323: Printed by J. L. Cox and Sons, 75, Great Queen Street, Lincoln's-Inn Fields. Volume II with printer's imprint on the verso of the title page: London: Printed by G. J. Palmer, Savoy Street, and at the foot of p. 298: London: Printed by G. J. Palmer, Savoy Street, Strand. Volume III with printer's imprint on the verso of the title page and at the foot of p. 378: London: Whiting, Beaufort House, Strand.

Each volume has an armorial bookplate with the monogram "A G J P" on the front pastedown, the armorial bookplate of William Marchbank on the rear pastedown, and the early ink signature of J. Moore on the front free endpaper. Early ink signature of Ashley Ponsonby, dated 1843, on the verso of the front free endpaper of Volumes I and II.

"A three-volume anthology of miscellaneous pieces by various authors, edited by Dickens, to benefit the widow and infant children of 28-year-old publisher John Macrone, who died suddenly in September of 1837. Dickens began assembling contributions for the book in February of 1838; eventually he contributed a brief Introduction and a short tale, 'The Lamplighter's Story', adapted from his unsuccessful farce The Lamplighter, as well as editing contributions by William Harrison Ainsworth, Thomas Moore, Leitch Ritchie, Agnes Strickland, and others. After many frustrating delays the anthology was finally published on 9 August 1841; it included six engravings by Hablot K. Browne and two by George Cruikshank. The frontispiece, an illustration for 'The Lamplighter's Story' titled 'The Philosopher's Stone', proved to be Cruikshank's last collaboration with Dickens. Mrs Macrone ultimately received £450 from this charitable publishing venture" (Oxford Reader's Companion to Dickens, p. 443).