The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club by Charles Dickens.
With Illustrations by R. Seymour and Phiz. London; Chapman and Hall; MDCCCXXXVII (1837).
FIRST EDITION of Dickens' first published work in book form, a very early impression with 5 of Smith's first issue points and the suppressed Buss plates which did not appear after November 1836, together with the rarer version of the frontispiece reading "Veller" on the sign.
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No copies of the first edition of the Pickwick Papers will have all of the first issue points as they were bound up from the original parts. A generally comprehensive list of the key first impression points is listed below.
This copy has [5] of the 7 Smith points.
Edition Points:
The 7 'unequivocal' first issue points as defined by Walter E. Smith:
pp.260 line 29 "hodling" for "holding" - Present
pp.276 figure "7" in page number slightly above other figures.
pp.341 line 1 correct reading of "inde-licate"; line 5 correct reading of "inscription" with stab holes. - Present
pp.342 line 5: "S. Veller" uncorrected" - Present
pp.400 line 21 "this friends" for "his friends" - Present
pp.432 headline "F" in "OF" imperfect - Present
"E" signature to pp.25 lacking
Other important early impression points include:
2 suppressed Buss plates to versos of pp.69 & pp.74 (didn't appear after November 1836) - Present
'Veller' for 'Weller' on frontispiece (both issued simultaneously, but Veller less common). - Present
6 line errata page to verso of directions to the binder (pp.xv-xvi) - Leaf lacking
'E' signature to pp.25 and pp.27 - Present
Frontispiece chair with 4 stripes - Present
Condition:
Shows very attractively on the shelf with bright gilt and a very nice tooled label to the spine reading "Pickwick Papers", also with the 1837 date to the foot of the spine. Spine rubbed with some loss at the head. Rubbing across the joints with both boards attached. Boards very slightly scuffed. Shelf and edge wear with a slight shelf lean. Top page edge dulled as typical, others very good. Some light foxing, more so to endpapers as typical. Frontis and engraved title page heavily oxidised as typical with the remaining plates generally much better than typically found, though still oxidised with some minor staining. Text block very good. 609pp, uncollated but appears to be complete. Buss plates have been reinforced at the gutter.
