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. This is a scarce early state of the book with an incredible 5 of the 7 Smith points as well as the supressed Buss plates which did not appear after November 1836. This also has the E signature to both pp.25 and pp.27.
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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
Condition:
[xiv, (1ff), 609pp]
Near contemporary half morocco over grained boards with titles lettered in gilt to the spine without raised bands but with triple lined compartments. Minor rubbing, mostly to the extremities of the spine with a little shelf wear. Joints near fine with front hinge slightly cracked with both boards securely attached and the binding firm. No shelf lean. Top page edge dulled as typical else very good. Corners without deformity. Replaced endpapers with the frontispiece backed on to renewed paper. Frontis and engraved title page heavily oxidised as typically found with some foxing. Ink ownership inscription to head of engraved title page. Main title page a little offset from the verso signature. Leaf edge repairs to B1 and a few other leaves throughout, notably SS1 and the verso plate with text loss. A few plates trimmed at the fore edge for the rebinding. Plates oxidised and foxed in their typical condition throughout with commensurate foxing throughout the text block, mildly toned with occasional dampstaining as often.
A well restored example, remarkable for its earliness of state with the supressed Buss plates to the versos of pp.69 and 74.
