Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Price: US$74.80 + shipping
Condition: As New
Description: Modern, recent, replica, still in publisher's shrinkwrap. Red cloth boards. As New condition, of the 1843 first edition by Chapman & Hall, London. FACSIMILE COPY of "the first edition duplicates the type and color pages precisely as appeared in the original 1843 first ed. Gilt edges along with design and lettering in gilt on spine and front board. This includes the color frontice. Small book, a little under 7 inches by 4 1/2. Illustrations by John Leech. Original first edition was published about two weeks before Christmas 1843, in a first printing of 6,000 and sold out in one day. Nice collector's copy. (THIS BOOK IS IN OUR POSSESSION. WE SHIP MOST BOOKS SIX DAYS A WEEK AND WILL CONFIRM WITH TRACKING NUMBER FOR DOMESTIC ORDERS OR CUSTOMS NUMBER FOR NON DOMESTIC) ; 8vo; 166 pages
Seller: Abound Book Company, Overland Park, KS, U.S.A.
Price: US$145.00 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: A facsimile of the Original Edition by Chapman and Hall Publishers. 1st edition. Book issued in brown cloth with gilt titles and decorations. Gilt to all page ends. 166 pages with full color illustrations by John Leech. With a forward by G. K. Chesterton and a preface by B. W. Matz. A spectacular copy! Selling quality books for 35 years.
Seller: Sleuth Books, FABA, Palm Coast, FL, U.S.A.
Price: US$480.11 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: THIS IS AN EXACT REPLICA OF THE 1843 FIRST PRINTING, THERE ARE NO DEVIATIONS - NO OTHER PRINTERS MENTIONED SUCH AS GK CHESTERTON [I HAVE BEEN ASKED A FEW TIMES ABOUT THIS]. - JUST AN ABSOLUTE PERFECT REPLICA 100% - Size - 16mo - 6¾ inches tall by 4¼ inches wide by ¾ of an inch deep - approx - There are Four Full Page Beautiful Colour Illustrations & There are Four Black & White, Vignettes, and the detail is sublime by John Leech. - EXACT WORDING ON PREFACE PAGE READS: - I have endeavoured in this Ghostly little book, to raise the ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humour with themselves, with each other, with the season, or with me. May it haunt their houses pleasantly, and no one wish to lay it. - Their faithful Friend and Servant, - C. D. - December, 1843.- [ it is a true facsimile reproduction of the first issue from 1843]. - Condition & Description: Bespoke Red and Gold Slip-Case: Deep red coloured with the beautiful Golden-Gilt Christmas garland of holly leaves with the title held within [absolutely beautiful as you can see]. - The slip-case is in a beautiful condition. - Red faux leather boards, rich in colour, with the same golden gilt garland of leaves and holly, and the title of: 'A CHRISTMAS CAROL BY CHARLES DICKENS' - held within. - There is more gold/gilt decoration to the spine and there is blank tooled embossing around the perimeter of both the front and back boards. Boards are also in a great condition. - Magnificent Gold/Gilt decorated edging to all three sides of the pages and when the book is closed it looks magical.- There is a small crack to the front margin on the spine but it's hardly noticeable. The pages are of a good quality paper stock. Illustrations within are very detailed and accompany the story beautifully. Story consists of 166 pages with another 2 pages of advertisements at the back of the book. - An investment at any time of the year. - Thanks for looking.- END - Our orders are shipped within 1 or 2 business days. - Thanks for your interest.
Seller: Modern_First_Printings, EAST SUSSEX, United Kingdom
Price: US$3200.73 + shipping
Description: Third Edition in Original Cloth. Printed in the same month as the first edition. This copy bears all of the issue points of the first issue- with the exception of the title page, which clearly states 3rd Edition. It is likely that this was bound up from 1st issue sheets, when the demand for more copies was realised. Please see photographs from Walter E. Smith for the issue points. To highlight one example - ps 42 line 17. The W in Was is printed in Italic. Smith states that this was corrected in the second edition - but it still appears here as an italic. In particular - all of the changes that Smith states occured between the 1st and 3rd editions and in this copy, in the 1st state (see pic of table 1). Original brown buckram / cloth with blind stamped decoration to boards, and gilt titles to spine and front board. The cloth is somewhat darkened,There is a little splitting to the spine and a chip to the top edge of the spine (1cm) this has been re-glued in place, but is still obvious. Blue font on the half-title and red and blue font for the title. Stated third edition in red text to title page. Date MDCCCXLIII to bottom of title. The title is a little darkened and marked. Four hand-coloured steel-engraved plates by and after Leech and four black and white text wood-engravings by W.J. Linton after Leech. As Smith comments "The expense of the hand coloured illustrations reduced profits considerably, and Dickens, who was the actual publisher of the Carol, never again used colour in any of his books" (V.2 p 21). vi, 166, [ii]. pp Adverts for Dickens other works to rear. Pages are darkened to the edges and with some marks to them. Binding is a little shaken but still holding together. Dickens' most beloved Christmas story of Ebenezer Scrooge's redemption after being visited by three spirits on Christmas Eve. Scrooge is made to see the dangers and consequences of his miserly ways and awakens the following morning infused with the spirit of Christmas giving. "A tale to make the reader laugh and cry - to open his hands, and open his heart to charity even toward the uncharitable. a dainty dish to set before a King" (Contemporary review in London's Athenaeum magazine). 165 by 105mm (6½ by 4¼ inches). . Troisième édition en toile originale. Imprimée le même mois que la première édition. Cet exemplaire porte tous les points d'édition de la première édition, à l'exception de la page de titre, qui indique clairement qu'il s'agit de la troisième édition. Il est probable que cet exemplaire ait été relié à partir des feuilles de la première édition, lorsque la demande pour plus d'exemplaires s'est faite sentir. Veuillez consulter les photographies de Walter E. Smith pour connaître les points d'édition. Un exemple : ps 42, ligne 17. Le W de Was est imprimé en italique. Smith affirme que cela a été corrigé dans la deuxième édition, mais il apparaît toujours ici en italique. En particulier, tous les changements mentionnés par Smith ont eu lieu entre la première et la troisième édition et, dans cet exemplaire, dans le premier état (voir l'image du tableau 1). Original buckram / tissu marron avec décoration estampée à l'aveugle sur les planches, et titres dorés au dos et sur la première planche. Le tissu est légèrement assombri. Il y a une petite fissure au dos et un éclat au bord supérieur du dos (1cm) qui a été recollé, mais qui est encore visible. Police bleue sur le demi-titre et police rouge et bleue pour le titre. Troisième édition indiquée en rouge sur la page de titre. Date MDCCCXLIII au bas du titre. Le titre est un peu assombri et marqué. Quatre planches gravées sur acier en couleur à la main par et d'après Leech et quatre gravures sur bois en noir et blanc par W.J. Linton d'après Leech. Comme l'explique Smith, "le coût des illustrations colorées à la main a considérablement réduit les bénéfices, et Dickens, qui était l'éditeur du Carol, n'a plus jamais utilisé la couleur dans aucun de ses livres" (V.2 p 21). vi, 166, [ii]. pp Des publicités pour d'autres uvres de Dickens figurent au dos de l'ouvrage. Les pages sont noircies sur les bords et portent quelques marques. La reliure est un peu secouée mais tient toujours. L'histoire de Noël la plus aimée de Dickens, qui raconte la rédemption d'Ebenezer Scrooge après avoir reçu la visite de trois esprits la veille de Noël. Scrooge prend conscience des dangers et des conséquences de son avarice et se réveille le lendemain matin imprégné de l'esprit de Noël. "Un conte qui fera rire et pleurer le lecteur - pour qu'il ouvre ses mains et son cur à la charité, même envers ceux qui ne sont pas charitables. un plat délicieux à présenter à un roi" (critique contemporaine dans le magazine Athenaeum de Londres). 165 x 105 mm
Seller: Harrison-Hiett Rare Books, Richelieu, France
Price: US$3500.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: First Editions, First Printings. All the books are bound in the publisher's original cloth and are in great shape. The bindings are tight with NO cocking or leaning with minor wear to the boards. The pages are clean with NO writing, marks or bookplates in the books. A lovely collection of these four books "The Chimes" "The Cricket on the Hearth" "The Battle of Life,The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain"
Seller: Magnum Opus Rare Books, Missoula, MT, U.S.A.
DICKENS, CHARLES. A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Chapman & Hall, London, 1843.
Price: US$7080.41 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: pp: [viii][1]2-166 [2]. THE THIRD EDITION bound in deep red full calf, ruled in gilt, raised bands to spine with two title pieces, one in blue and one in green, both with gilt lettering. All edge gilt with top edge rough cut, and other edges trimmed. Both paste downs are trimmed with half-inch decorative calf and remainder and end paper are in decorative red paper. The original covers are bound in at the end of the text. The book is held in a brown cloth covered clam shell case with a title piece laid down. A nearly flawless copy. When the novella was published it struck a chord with Victorian readers. Some old Christmas traditions were being revived and new ones (the Christmas tee and Christmas cards) were being introduced. Dickens completed the book in six weeks. And it was released on 17 December, 1943. It was a great success and went into multiple printings with a few months. By May, 1844 the seventh edition had been sold out. One of the features of the story is that it was adapted for the stage almost immediately. The success of the book encouraged Dickens to produce four new Christmas stories, none of which approached the popularity of A Christmas Carol.
Seller: MAPLE RIDGE BOOKS, UXBRIDGE, ON, Canada
Dickens, Charles. A Christmas Carol. Chapman and Hall, London, 1843.
Price: US$8000.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: A very good first edition, second issue, with "Stave One" on first page. Rebound in handsome gold gilt lettered and decorated red leather. The most famous book ever written about Christmas. A classic work produced on countless stages around the world every year. Housed in a custom-made cloth slipcase.
Seller: Bookbid, Beverly Hills, CA, U.S.A.
Price: US$8200.00 + shipping
Description: Complete set of Charles Dickens' Christmas Books. Octavo, 5 volumes, original cloth with gilt titles and tooling to the spine and front panels, all edges gilt. A Christmas Carol, in Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas is a tenth edition with the half-title printed in blue, title-page printed in red and blue, verso printed in blue, hand-colored etched frontispiece and three hand-colored etched plates by John Leech, four wood-engravings in-text by W.J. Linton after Leech, 2pp. publisher's advertisements at rear. Second edition of The Chimes: A Goblin Story of Some Bells that Rang an Old Year Out and a New Year with the half-title, engraved frontispiece and pictorial vignette title page. First edition of The Cricket on the Hearth: A Fairy Tale of Home with half-title, frontispiece and vignette title page, second state ad leaf. First edition of the Battle of Life: A Love Story with half-title, advertisements, frontispiece and fourth state vignette title page. First edition of The Haunted Man and The Ghost's Bargain: A Fancy for Christmas-Time with advertisements, frontispiece and vignette title page. Each volume is in near fine condition. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. A very nice set. A Christmas Carol "may readily be called the Bible of Christmas. It was issued about ten days before Christmas, 1843, and 6000 copies were sold on the first day"(Eckel, 110). "It was a work written at the height of Dickens great powers, which would add to his considerable fame, bring a new work to the English language, increase the festivities at Christmastime, and contain his most eloquent protest at the condition of the poor" (John Mortimer). "Suddenly conceived and written within a few weeks, [A Christmas Carol] was the first of Dickens Christmas books (a new literary genre thus created incidentally) it was an extraordinary achievementthe one great Christmas myth of modern literature."
Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.
Price: US$8800.00 + shipping
Description: Complete set of Charles Dickens' Christmas Books. Octavo, 5 volumes, original cloth with gilt titles and tooling to the spine and front panels, all edges gilt. A Christmas Carol, in Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas is a second edition in brown cloth with red and blue title-page dated 1843, 'Stave One' and corrected text, Smith's second state, plates hand-colored (2 repaired), spine repaired, new endpapers, 1843; first edition of The Chimes; A Goblin Story with advertisement leaf for the tenth edition of A Christmas Carol, first state of vignette title-page, recased, 1845, Chapman & Hall; fourteenth edition of The Cricket on the Hearth, new endpapers, 1846; first edition of The Battle of Life with the vignette title-page in fourth state without imprint (Todd's E1), recased, 1846; first edition of The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain, 1848, Bradbury & Evans; all but The Christmas Carol with additional vignette titles, illustrations. In very good condition. A Christmas Carol "may readily be called the Bible of Christmas. It was issued about ten days before Christmas, 1843, and 6000 copies were sold on the first day"(Eckel, 110). "It was a work written at the height of Dickensâ great powers, which would add to his considerable fame, bring a new work to the English language, increase the festivities at Christmastime, and contain his most eloquent protest at the condition of the poor" (John Mortimer). "Suddenly conceived and written within a few weeks, [A Christmas Carol] was the first of Dickensâ Christmas books (a new literary genre thus created incidentally) it was an extraordinary achievementâ"the one great Christmas myth of modern literature."
Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.
Price: US$9000.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: A set of the five Christmas books by Dickens: 1). A Christmas Carol, in Prose, being a Ghost Story of Christmas. With illustrations by John Leech. London: Chapman & Hall, 1843. With the Stave I reading, the red and blue title, but with the typographical corrections that delineate the second edition of the same month. [8], 166, [2] pp. Frontispiece and three hand-colored plates plus four wood engravings, all by Leech. 2) The Chimes. A Goblin Story or some bells that rang an old year out and a new year in. London: Chapman & Hall, 1845. First edition, first issue (with the imprint integral to the engraved title). [8], 175, [1] pp.; the first page is the ad for the Christmas Carol; 3) The Cricket on the Hearth. A fairy tale of home. London: printed and published for the author by Bradbury and Evans, 1846. First edition, first (and only) issue. [8], 174, [2] pp., complete with half-title and ads; The battle of life. 4. A love story. London: Bradbury & Evans, 1846. First edition, Eckel's fourth issue. [8], [1-2, sectional title], 3-175 [colophon on verso of last page], ad leaf. The illustrations (by Doyle, Leech, Maclise et al) are intertextual; 5) The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain. A Fancy for Christmas-time. London: Bradbury & Evans, 1848. First edition, first (and only) issue. Five volumes uniformly bound by Tout in full maroon morocco, slipcased, all edges gilt. Joints repaired on the first volume, with a small loss to the corner of the title-page. Overall, a very nice set of Dickens' Christmas novels.
Seller: Neverland Books, waalre, Netherlands
Price: US$9154.07 + shipping
Description: 1. A Christmas Carol. FIRST EDITION, 2nd issue (Stave One). Chapman & Hall. Half title. Hand-coloured frontispiece and three plates by John Leech. 1843. 2. The Chimes. FIRST EDITION, 2nd issue. Chapman & Hall. Half title, front., engr. title & illus. by Maclise, Doyle, Leech and Stanfield. 1845. 3. The Cricket on the Hearth. FIRST EDITION, Printed and published for the Author, by Bradbury & Evans. Front., engr. title, and illus. by Maclise, Doyle, Stanfield and Leech. 1846. 4. The Battle of Life. FIRST EDITION, 4th issue. Bradbury & Evans. Illus. by Maclise, Doyle, Stanfield and Leech. 5. The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain. FIRST EDITION. Bradbury & Evans. Front., engr. title & illus. by Tenniel, Stanfield, Stone and Leech. Uniform full red crushed morocco by Morrell of London, spines gilt in compartments, gilt borders & dentelles; front hinge of A Christmas Carol rubbed & a little tender. All with the original cloth bound in at end. Booklabels of W.A. Foyle, Beeleigh Abbey. a.e.g A v.g. handsome set.
Seller: Jarndyce, The 19th Century Booksellers, London, United Kingdom
Price: US$12802.90 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, in prose, being A Ghost Story of Christmas with illustrations by John Leech . A rare first edition of this Charles Dickens novel with even rarer special publisher's binding in an original state, published by Chapman & Hall 1843. The only one of it's type we have come across. Brown illustrated covers with mild wear to the extremities, believed to be an original publisher's special binding, perhaps a presentation copy. Spine with gilt lettering with top quarter missing. We have decided not to repair this book as it is highly valuable and sought after in it's first state, so we have left it for the buyer to choose how they wish to proceed with repair work. All the fist issue points as noted in Smith 2, 4; with 'Stave 1'. Coloured frontispiece and three further plates by John Leech, all hand colored as issued - the first and only time Dickens used coloured illustrations, in his desire to make the book highly valued. It proved to be very expensive so was never repeated. Plus woodcut black and white text illustrations. No advertisments at the end of the book. Gilt coloured page ends. Coloured marble end papers with gilt edging in very good state. Wreath surrounding the title with red and blue type. Loose page ribbon. Generally in very good condition other than the spine's missing section. Stave 1 on page one. Small slim 8vo
Seller: Rare And Antique Books PBFA, Exeter, DEVON, United Kingdom
Price: US$17500.00 + shipping
Description: Complete set of Charles Dickensâ Christmas Books containing first editions of each volume in the series with the exception of A Christmas Carol. Octavo, five volumes elaborately bound in full crushed red morocco by Sangorski and Sutcliffe with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, double gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles, all edges gilt, illustrated. The set includes a second edition of A Christmas Carol and first editions of The Chimes, The Battle of Life, Cricket on the Hearth, The Haunted Man and The Ghostâs Bargain. Vignette titles in each volume with the exception of A Christmas Carol. In near fine condition. Housed in a custom marbled slipcase. An attractive example of Dickens' famed work. A Christmas Carol "may readily be called the Bible of Christmas It was issued about ten days before Christmas, 1843, and 6000 copies were sold on the first day"(Eckel, 110). "It was a work written at the height of Dickensâ great powers, which would add to his considerable fame, bring a new work to the English language, increase the festivities at Christmastime, and contain his most eloquent protest at the condition of the poor" (John Mortimer). "Suddenly conceived and written within a few weeks, [A Christmas Carol] was the first of Dickensâ Christmas books (a new literary genre thus created incidentally) it was an extraordinary achievementâ"the one great Christmas myth of modern literature."
Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.
Dickens, Charles. A Christmas Carol. Chapman & Hall, London, 1843.
Price: US$20000.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: First edition, first printing. First issue with title page printed in red and blue, dated 1843 in Roman numerals; half title and verso of title page printed in blue; "Stave I" on page [1]. Bound in fine contemporary full marbled calf, gilt lettered black morocco spine label, covers ruled in gilt, gilt dentelles, red pastedowns and endpapers, all edges gilt, by J. Leighton, Brewer Street. Illustrated with 4 hand colored engraved plates by John Leech and 4 black and white illustrations by W.J. Linton. Near Fine with small vintage bookseller ticket to front pastedown and hinge at half-title page exposed though binding remains solid, pages lightly tanned. A fantastic copy in a beautiful contemporary binding. Written by Dickens during a period when the British were exploring and re-evaluating past Christmas traditions, including carols, and newer customs such as Christmas cards and Christmas trees. He was influenced by the experiences of his own youth and by the Christmas stories of other authors, including Washington Irving. The novella captured the zeitgeist of the mid-Victorian revival of the Christmas holiday. Dickens acknowledged the influence of the modern Western observance of Christmas, and in turn, his novella would go on to later influence several aspects of Christmas traditions, including family gatherings, seasonal food and drink, dancing, games and a festive generosity of spirit.
Seller: Burnside Rare Books, ABAA, Portland, OR, U.S.A.
Price: US$25000.00 + shipping
Description: Rare complete first edition set of of all five of Charles Dickensâ Christmas Books including the rare first edition of A Christmas Carol. Octavo, five volumes bound in full morocco, gilt titles and tooling to the spines in six compartments within raised gilt bands, The Christmas Carol with central gilt vignette of the Fezziwig's Ball frontispiece, the rest with central gilt portrait of Dickens or mistletoe to the front and rear panels, double gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. With the original publisher's gilt-decorated cloth bound in at the rear of each volume. The set contains: a first edition, first issue of A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being A Ghost Story of Christmas. London: Chapman & Hall, 1843 with the half-title, hand-colored frontispiece, title-page printed in blue and red, 3 hand-colored etched plates by John Leech, "Stave I" on p.[1], 2pp. advertisements at rear, with advertisement for A Christmas Carol (see The Chimes description), original publisher's green endpapers bound in at rear. A first edition of the Chimes: A Goblin Story of Some Bells that Rang an Old Year Out and a New Year In. London: Chapman and Hall, 1845 [1844] with the half-title, 13 illustrations including frontispiece and vignette title by Maclise, Doyle, Leech and Stanfield, second state of the vignette title, advertisement for A Christmas Carol bound into previous volume. A first edition of The Cricket on the Hearth. A Fairy Tale of Home. London: Bradbury and Evans for the author, 1846 [1844] with the half-title, 14 illustrations, including frontispiece and vignette title, by Leech, Doyle, Stanfield, Maclise and Landseer, 2pp. advertisement at rear. A first edition, fourth state of The Battle of Life. A Love Story. London: Bradbury and Evans, 1846 with the half-title, 13 illustrations including frontispiece and vignette title by Maclise, Doyle, Leech and Stanfield, fourth state of the vignette title, 2pp. advertisements at rear. A first edition of The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain. London: Bradbury and Evans, 1848. Half-title, 7 illustrations, including frontispiece and vignette title by Leech, Stanfield, Tenniel and Stone, 2pp. advertisement at rear. In fine condition. A very attractive rare complete first edition set. A Christmas Carol "may readily be called the Bible of Christmas. It was issued about ten days before Christmas, 1843, and 6000 copies were sold on the first day. The number of reprintings have been so many that all attempts at the figures have been futile. Altogether 24 editions were issued in the original format" (Eckel, 110). "It was a work written at the height of Dickensâ great powers, which would add to his considerable fame, bring a new work to the English language, increase the festivities at Christmastime, and contain his most eloquent protest at the condition of the poor" (John Mortimer). "Suddenly conceived and written within a few weeks, [A Christmas Carol] was the first of Dickensâ Christmas books (a new literary genre thus created incidentally) it was an extraordinary achievementâ"the one great Christmas myth of modern literature."
Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.
Dickens, Charles. A Christmas Carol. Chapman and Hall, London, 1843.
Price: US$27500.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: First Edition, First Printing. This is the TRUE FIRST EDITION with following First Issue points present "Four hand colored steel-engraved plates by John Leech" "Four black and white wood-engraved illustrations by W.J. Linton" "The title page in printed in blue and red" "dated 1843 on title page" "The front board has a perfect 'D' within 'Dickens' and a 14mm closest gap from left margin to left of wreath" with two pages of advertisement present on last page." A wonderful copy with minor repair to the spine. The book is great shape. The binding is tight with NO cocking or leaning and the boards are crisp with minor wear. The pages are exceptionally clean with NO writing, marks or bookplates in the book. A sharp copy housed in a custom clamshell slipcase. We buy Dickens First Editions.
Seller: Magnum Opus Rare Books, Missoula, MT, U.S.A.
Price: US$32000.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: 1843, 1845, 1846, 1846, 1848. First editions of all five of Charles Dickens' Christmas Books, all in their most desirable states. A Christmas Carol is the first issue with title page printed in red and blue, dated 1843 in Roman numerals; half title and verso of title page printed in blue; "Stave I" on page [1]. The Chimes, first edition, first issue with the publisher's name part of the vignette title page. The Cricket on the Hearth, first edition, second issue with [2pp.] ads. The Battle of Life, first edition, second of four states of the engraved title page with "A Love Story" in a scroll sans cupid; terminal ads announce the publication in parts of Dombey and Son and the bound volume of Oliver Twist. The Haunted Man, first edition, first and only issue.All five volumes uniformly bound in full teal morocco, ribbed gilt decorated spines, covers triple ruled in gilt, gilt dentelles, all edges gilt, original cloth covers and spines bound in the rear of each volume, housed in a blue cloth open ended slipcase which is rubbed. Near Fine, expert hinge repairs to "A Christmas Carol" and "The Battle Of Life". Contents tanned with the light, sporadic age-related spot. A lovely set.
Seller: Burnside Rare Books, ABAA, Portland, OR, U.S.A.
Price: US$40000.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: First editions of all five Christmas books in extraordinary condition, featuring a near fine and unrestored copy of the true first issue of The Christmas Carol, with "Stave I" on p. [1] and with the text entirely uncorrected. With all known first issue points: title page in blue and red, dated 1843, chalky green endpapers, 14-15mm between the gilt wreath and the left margin blind-stamping on the front cover, a perfect "D" in "Dickens" in the front cover wreath. According to the most recent exhaustive study (Todd's, analyzing the front cover), this copy is of the earliest state of the first issue. Near fine condition, and rare as such. Other books also in near fine or fine condition. Cricket has second state of ad leaf in rear, and Battle of Life has the 4th state of the title page. Housed in a custom-made collector's case.
Seller: Bookbid, Beverly Hills, CA, U.S.A.
Dickens, Charles. A Christmas Carol. Chapman & Hall, London, 1843.
Price: US$60000.00 + shipping
Description: First edition, first printing. "Stave I" on page [1] and every single textual point uncorrected as per Calhoun and Heaney. Todd's first impression, first issue with 15mm between wreath and left blindstamping, unbroken "D." Title page printed in preferred red and blue, dated 1843 in Roman numerals; half title and verso of title page printed in blue. Smith II.4. [viii], 166, [2] pp. with hand-colored steel engraved frontispiece and three steel engraved plates within text. Bound in publisher's brown ribbed cloth with elaborate gilt and blind stamping, all edges gilt, variant green endpapers. Near Fine with crisp stamping, hint of toning to spine, hairline crack in front gutter but binding sturdy, a few light spots of foxing to text at front, typical offsetting to endpapers. Bright internally. Tissue guards present. Housed in a custom chemise. An excellent copy of the classic Christmas story, rare in the original cloth.Written by Dickens during a period when the British were exploring and re-evaluating past Christmas traditions, including carols, and newer customs such as Christmas cards and Christmas trees. He was influenced by the experiences of his own youth and by the Christmas stories of other authors including Washington Irving. The novella captured the zeitgeist of the mid-Victorian revival of the Christmas holiday. Dickens acknowledged the influence of the modern Western observance of Christmas, and in turn, his novella would go on to later influence several aspects of Christmas traditions, including family gatherings, seasonal food and drink, dancing, games and a festive generosity of spirit.
Seller: Burnside Rare Books, ABAA, Portland, OR, U.S.A.
Price: US$81120.00 + shipping
Description: 167 x 102 mm. (6 5/8 x 4 1/8"). Five separately published works in five volumes. SUPERB OLIVE GREEN CRUSHED MOROCCO COSWAY BINDINGS BY RIVIERE & SON FROM DESIGNS BY J. H. STONEHOUSE (stamp-signed on front turn-ins), upper covers all with two inlaid red morocco banners, that at head with title in gilt, that at foot lettered "Lord keep my Memory Green," and each binding FEATURING AT CENTER AN OVAL MINIATURE PORTRAIT BY MISS C. B. CURRIE (signed in gilt on rear turn-ins), the five showing Dickens at different ages, painted on ivory under glass and surrounded by a gilt wreath of holly and mistletoe; raised bands, spines gilt in compartments with holly sprig, gilt lettering, gilt-ruled turn-ins with mistletoe sprig at corners, moss green watered silk endleaves, all edges gilt. Original cloth covers bound in at rear of each volume. An aggregate total of 53 woodcut illustrations in the texts, four engraved vignette title pages (the one in "Haunted" tinted), and eight engraved plates (the four in "Carol" nicely hand-colored), the illustrations by John Tenniel, John Leech, Daniel Maclise, Richard Doyle, and others. Carol with bound-in ALS FROM DICKENS dated 3 August 1842, and with two original green endpapers, one inscribed with a passage from Foster's "Life of Dickens," bound in at rear; "Chimes" with ALS from artist Richard Doyle dated 21 September [no year] bound in at front; "Cricket" with ALS from artist John Leech dated 17 July 1846; "Battle" with undated ALS from artist Daniel Maclise bound in; "Haunted Man" with ALS from artist John Tenniel to Dickens collector and bibliographer F. G. Kitton, dated 15 July 1896, bound in. Eckel 110-25; Smith II, 4-6, 8-9. âSpines slightly faded to a uniform medium brown (and front cover of "Haunted Man" just subtly sunned to olive brown), "Chimes" with faint foxing to engraved title opening, "Haunted Man" with light offsetting to printed title (as usual), other trivial imperfections, but A SPLENDID SET--clean and fresh internally ("Carol" being virtually pristine), and THE REMARKABLY CHARMING BINDINGS WITH NO SIGNS OF USE. This is the ultimate bibliophile's set of Dickens' five Christmas books: first editions in especially fine condition, in authentic Cosway bindings by the creators of that style, and with an autograph letter, signed by Dickens or one of the artists who illustrated these works, bound into each volume. "A Christmas Carol," the immortal story of how ghostly visitations finally inject the miserly Scrooge with the Christmas spirit, is called by Eckels "the greatest Christmas book from the pen of any man . . . . Artistically it was a pronounced success, and from a literary aspect, it has delighted millions of readers." The work is not only finely written, but its sentiments had great appeal for Victorian taste. Our copy has all of the text first issue points listed in Smith and Eckel, but those bibliographers disagree as to whether yellow (Smith) or green (Eckel) endpapers have priority. William Todd distrusted all internal issue points beyond uncorrected text, including color of the endpapers. He believed the most reliable way to determine priority of issue was by studying the location of the gilt wreath on the cover, which was stamped by a single machine. He says, "This desideratum is a single point, one encompassing all the others, and, if it is to be a sign of issue, the one last appearing in the course of manufacture." The brass stamp with the cover design shifted to the left and developed imperfections as time went on, so Todd assigned priority to volumes with the most distance (14-15 mm.) between the right edge of the blind-stamped border on the left side of the cover, and the left-most extremity of the gilt wreath and with a perfect "D" in the author's name within that wreath. By these criteria, our copy is a first issue. As an added bonus, our volume contains a letter written (and flamboyantly signed) by Dickens to Messrs. Curry and Co. concerning newspaper piracy of his works by "wholesale robbers." The warm reception of "A Christmas Carol" prompted Dickens to launch a series of four further Christmas books. "The Chimes" was described by the author to his friend (and biographer) John Foster as striking "a blow for the poor," while "The Cricket on the Hearth" presented domestic life in the ideal Victorian home. "The Battle of Life" is a love story with a happy ending (a Victorian rom-com for the holidays), and "The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain" finds another grumpy old man learning about the spirit of Christmas from a ghost. The illustrations for these works were done by some of the most popular artists of the day, including those whose letters are bound into volumes here: Richard Doyle (1824-83), who created the first cover and the masthead for "Punch"; John Leech (1817-54), well known for his political cartoons and humorous illustrations for "Punch"; Daniel Maclise (1806-70), whose professional life was devoted primarily to painting, especially portraits and historical scenes; and Sir John Tenniel (1820-1914), illustrator of "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass." This set was splendidly bound by the masters of the Cosway binding: Riviere, Stonehouse, and Currie. The "Cosway" style of binding, with painted miniatures inlaid in handsome morocco, apparently originated with the London bookselling firm of Henry Sotheran about 1909, the year G. C. Williamson's book entitled "Richard Cosway" was remaindered by Sotheran and presumably given this special decorative treatment. The name "Cosway" then was used to describe any book so treated, whatever its subject. Admirable miniatures on Cosway bindings were executed by Caroline Billin Currie (1849-1940) from 1910 until her death, creating such paintings for Sotheran's, usually (as here) from designs by J. H. Stonehouse for bindings executed by Riviere. The portraits created by Miss Currie for this work show a maturing Dickens, from youthful idealism to successful middl
Seller: Phillip J. Pirages Rare Books (ABAA), McMinnville, OR, U.S.A.