Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Bell, Currier ( Bronte, charlotte). Shirley : a Tale. Smith, Elder & Co, 1857.
Price: US$68.69 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: ivpp; 534pp; 6pp. Bound in original publishers cloth and issued as part of the Smith Elder Series of 'Standard Works', published 8 years after the 3 volume first edition and just 4 years after the first uniform edition - this therefore being a third edition. The author is Charlotte Bronte , under the pen name of Currier Bell. Cloth somewhat faded and rubbed as is nearly always the case, leaving the titling to the front board very faint. There is some light creasing to the spine and slight splitting to the outer cloth corners at the head and tail of the spine with a little fraying of the cloth at head of the spine. There is a bump to the lower corner of the front board and two corners are lightly bumped with a few slight bumps to the board edges. Splitting along both inner hinges, leaving the boards slightly shaken. A little ink staining to the reverse of the title page and to the contents pages. Some page corners have been turned and there is occasional light or slight soiling. The book remains tightly bound. A very good copy.
Seller: Trumpington Fine Books Limited, Gilmilnscroft, Ayrshire, Scotland, United Kingdom
Price: US$104.95 + shipping
Description: 2nd Ed. 2 vols. viii + 352pp. + viii + 327pp. + [i]. Port. frontis., frontis and facsimile of handwriting. Large ownership inscription to front f.e.ps., plates lightly spotted, half calf with marbled boards, rubbed, joints split but firm with a couple of sm. cracks intruding onto spines, sl. wear to corners, gilt filleted raised bands dec. gilt compartments and gilt lettered red leather title labels to lightly browned and sl. rubbed spines with sl. wear at head and tail. US$105
Seller: Francis Edwards ABA ILAB, Hay on Wye, United Kingdom
Price: US$159.00 + shipping
Description: Small 8vo. (iv), 534 pp. Near contemporary blue half morocco over matching cloth boards, spine with gilt ruled compartments, gilt lettered direct to one panel, an early ownership to the head of the title page, a slightly later press cutting regarding a fire at a mill. Spine faded to brown, else very good. First published in 1849 in three volumes.
Seller: Bow Windows Bookshop (ABA, ILAB), Lewes, United Kingdom
Price: US$203.52 + shipping
Description: New Edition, 16mo. (sm. 8vo in size), (177x110mm), pp: iv+[1]-554,6, with the final 6pp of Advertisments and yellow endpaper adverts front and back. Price Half-A-Crown. Original yellow cloth, black printed, spine faded, shaken and inner hinges split, however sound and attractive. Final leaves with adverts for various Works by Currer Bell and a Uniform Edition of 'The Life' by Mrs. Gaskell.
Seller: Offa's Dyke Books, LUDLOW, SALOP, United Kingdom
BELL Currer. Shirley. A Tale. A New Edition.. Smith Elder,, 1857.
Price: US$267.12 + shipping
Description: 8vo., contemporary signature on title; strongly bound in contemporary half calf, pebble-grain cloth boards, back with four raised bands tooled in gilt, second compartment with red leather label ruled and lettered in gilt, all other compartments tooled with a lozenge in blind, red edges, green endpapers, corners and joints mildly worn and rubbed else a very good, good, tight copy. The work was first issued as single volume in 1852. Nice copy of an early [fifth/sixth?] edition. See Wise, p.26.
Seller: Island Books, Thakeham, West Sussex, United Kingdom
Price: US$307.26 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: First Edition thus, fine condition. The Life of Charlotte Bronte Author of Jane Eyre, Shirley, Villette Special Collection by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell. Published by Smith, Elder And Co. in 1857. Hardcover. 2 vols. 8vo. With publisher's catalogue dated June 1857. Bound in at the rear of vol. 2 a newspaper fragment from The Standard, Dec. 6, 1906, announcing the death of Charlotte's husband the Rev. A.B. Nicholls. At the end of vol. 1 the original Westley? s? ticket has been preserved. Smith Gaskell p. 109-110. Collectible item in excellent condition.
Seller: Collectors' Bookstore, Deurne, Belgium
Price: US$394.00 + shipping
Condition: Fair
Description: viii, 359; viii, 336, 16 p. 2 vols. Ex-library, corners worn and torn, slightly stained.
Seller: Yushodo Co., Ltd., Fuefuki-shi, Yamanashi Pref., Japan
Price: US$610.57 + shipping
Description: First edition. Two volumes, octavo (21 x 13cm). 'Though the work reflects what Charlotte Bronte told Elizabeth Gaskell of her early life, as well as the contents of Bronte's letters, the Life can be seen also as a novel in which Charlotte Bronte is the heroine whose creator has chosen the details that most clearly project the desired image.'- Todd. Vol. I, pp. viii,352; Vol. II, pp. viii, 327,[1],16. With a frontispiece portrait to the first volume, frontispiece view to the second, both engraved on steel, plate with a facsimile of the MS, and 16pp. publisher's adverts dated March 1857. A smart copy bound in 20th C half red morocco by Riviere & Son, the spines with raised bands, gilt, with cloth sides & marbled endpapers and an engraved armorial bookplate. The cloth covers, front & back, and spines, neatly laid down & bound at the rear of both volumes. Vg. [Parrish 64; Yablon & Turner 195; Smith 105; Symington 58; Sadleir 928; Todd 269]
Seller: Colin Page Books, Storrington, United Kingdom
Price: US$2226.04 + shipping
Description: First edition. Two volumes. Original publisher's brown chocolate cloth, decorated in blind to the covers and with gilt titles to the spine. A very good set indeed, in unrestored original cloth. Each volume slightly cocked, with some rubbing to the spine ends. Contemporary ownership inscription to front pastedowns in each volume. Engraved frontispiece to each volume.
Seller: Jonkers Rare Books, Henley on Thames, OXON, United Kingdom