November 30, 2010

THE LARGEST EXTRA-ILLSUTRATED LIFE OF DICKENS ON RECORD : 3 Volumes Expanded into 9


Original Signed Autograph Material including a 2 page letter of Dickens:  1038 Specially Mounted Plates

[DICKENS, Charles] [Forster, John] The life of Charles Dickens. [In three volumes] London: Chapman and Hall, 1872. 3 volumes expanded to 9. Special edition EXTRA-ILLUSTRATED by 1038 plates (many mounted to size, some double page) including an incredible complement of 75 portraits of Dickens. Bound in full crushed red morocco leather with gilt lettering and and gilt turn-ins; vols. 4,6, 7, 8, with the boards partially or fully and cleanly separated/detached at the hinges, present but loose; a couple other volumes with weak hinges, three volumes with repairs to hinges. Included in Vol I is an authentic Autograph Signed Letter of Dickens (ALs,) [Fulham Hotel, March 14th, s.d.; circa 1842] . 2 pp, 8vo. addressed to Joseph Nielsen Esq., concerning planning his trip to America and the fact that he is unsure whether or not he will be in a particular village, and if so, only for a few hours. This is a very early Dicken’s letter and Dicken’s letters that mention America are quite rare. Additionally in Vol. I is what is likely (at least stated on verso) an unsigned autograph note of Dickens in his hand in his occasional playful use of third person, on ‘All the Year Round’ stationary, stating that a manuscript submitted [for publication] to All the Year Round by Mr Glascock does not meet the necessary requirements. Vol. VI contains an unsigned letter of ‘Phiz’ (i.e. Hablot K. Browne) written from 2 Park Terrace and illustrated with a very lovely drawing of a devil gazing at paintings while two cherubs attempt to nail down his tail. Additionally, there is an original photograph of Dickens, another of Mark Lemon (founder of Punch Magazine), original and very rare broadsides of theatrical productions of Dickens, eleven front wrappers for Dicken’s titles issued in parts, an unusual acrostic by Charles Kent, Dicken’s characters illustrated by Kyd, as well as an incredibly rich and diverse assortment of views, ephemera, stage actors portraying Dicken’s characters, scenes of Dickens including from his tour of America, as well as the inclusion of additional titles pages form the later NY 1892 edition. This is certainly the largest extra-illustrated set of the Life of Dickens on record.

Provenance: There is no clear indication of who commissioned this remarkable set. The name Fred Dickens appears twice in pencil on flyleaves, so it may originally have been compiled by a relative/descendant. The American theater manager and playwright Augustin Daly, evidently owned a similarly described set that sold at auction in 1900 at the Anderson Galleries, but it is not clear if this is the same set. There is a pencil notation that this set was sold by the famous 5th Avenue American bookseller Dauber &Pine on March 20, 1930 during the Depression.

“John Forster (1812-1876), English biographer and critic, best known for his excellent Life of Charles Dickens. Forster met Dickens in 1836, and became his close friend and adviser. Dickens modeled Our Mutual Friend character John Podsnap on Forster, and his rooms are said to be the basis for the residence of lawyer Tulkinghorn in Bleak House. From the Pickwick Papers onwards Forster saw the manuscripts of nearly all Dicken’s novels before the were published, and Dickens appointed him as his literary executor.”

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posted in: Rare Books