Title: The Posthumous Papers of The Pickwick Club, 1837. First Edition, Mixed Early Issue
Author: Charles Dickens; Phiz; Robert Seymour; Buss
Publisher: London, Chapman and Hall
Condition: Very Good
A mid 19th century first edition, early issue of Charles Dicken’ first and immensely popular novel, the Posthumous Papers of The Pickwick Club. Many of the first issue points are present, including the two suppressed Buss plates, facing pages 69 and 74. It also bears 5 of the 7 Smith priority first issue points.
The noted are as such: Five lines of footnotes to page 9; signature ‘E’ present to end of pages 25 and 27; without parenthesis in lines 14 and 15 from the bottom of page 34; the e in reg’lary on line 34 of page 225 is imperfect; without the quotation mark before ‘Sir’ in the ninth line of page 244; line 29 of page 260 reading 'hodling' for 'holding'; the second '3' in the page number present to page 303; ‘S.Veller’ to line 5 of page 342; ‘wi shl was’ to line 5 of page 342; 'Picwkick' to the running title of page 375; 'this friends' rather than 'his friends' on page 400, line 21; an imperfect 'F' in the word 'OF' in the headline on page 432. Hatton and Cleaver mention forty-eight first issue text points.
There are 43 full page engraved plates of varying states by Phiz, Seymour, and Buss.
Many of the plates appear to be first states of the Phiz plates, and others bear the later Chapman and Hall imprint. There are several of the rarer Buss plates as well.
One finely bound volume in octavo, XIV+609 pages
This volume is in very good shape, with minor rubbing and wear to the binding, namely to the spine, with the title label chipped and peeling. The upper right corners of 287 and 289 are lacking, not affecting text or illustrations. There is a stain to the outer margin of page 604, slightly affecting the margins of the adjacent pages. There is some foxing and staining throughout, heavier to the plates.