?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 3,000 - $ 5,000
Dickens, Charles (1812-1870) A Complete set of first edition Christmas Books.
Five octavo volumes uniformly bound in full modern red morocco, aeg.; marbled endpapers; publisher's cloth covers and spines laid down and bound in each volume; Christmas Carol binding in first state, with the closest distance between blind decorative border on the left and the nearest extremity of the gilt cartouche measuring 14 mm and the "D" of Dickens perfect; all volumes washed and trimmed; 6 1/4 x 3 7/8 in.
1) A Christmas Carol. London: Bradbury and Evans for Chapman & Hall, 1843. First edition, second variant issue with "Stave One" header, half-title printed in blue, title in red and gold, two pages of advertisements at end, hand-colored etched frontispiece and three plates by John Leech, four in-text wood-engravings by W.J. Linton after Leech; scattered small spots and occasional light foxing. Eckel, p. 110; Gimbel/Podeschi A79; Smith II:4.
2) The Chimes. London: Bradbury and Evans for Chapman & Hall, 1845 [but 1844]. First edition, second state of vignette title, half-title, etched frontispiece and additional vignette title by F.P Becker after Daniel Maclise, numerous in-text woodcut illustrations by Groves, W.J. Linton, C. Gray, and Dalziel Brothers after Richard Doyle, John Leech and Clarkson Stanfield; a few small spots. Eckel pp.116-118; Smith II:5.
3) The Cricket on the Hearth. London: Bradbury and Evans for the Author, 1846 [but 1845]. First edition, second state of the Oliver Twist advertisement leaf at rear, half-title, etched frontispiece and additional vignette title by Thompson and G. Dalziel respectively after Daniel Maclise, numerous woodcut illustrations by G. and E. Dalziel, Thomas Williams, John Thompson, J. Swain and Groves after Richard Doyle, Clarkson Stanfield, John Leech, and Edwin Landseer; occasional smudges. Eckel pp.119-120; Smith II:6.
4) The Battle of Life. London: Bradbury and Evans, 1846. First edition, fourth state of additional vignette title, etched frontispiece and vignette title by John Thompson after Daniel Maclise, numerous wood-cut illustrations by G. and E. Dalziel, Thomas Williams and W.T. Green after Richard Doyle, Clarkson Stanfield, John Leech and Daniel Maclise; half-title lightly toned. Eckel pp.121-123; Smith II:8.
5) The Haunted Man. London: Bradbury and Evans, 1848. First edition, half-title, etched frontispiece and additional vignette title on toned grounds by Martin & Corbould after John Tenniel, numerous woodcut illustrations by various artists; occasional tiny spots. Eckel pp.124-125; Smith II:9.
All volumes ex libris William E. Self (1921-2010), with bookplate; this set sold at Christie's New York 4 December 2009, Lot 72.
From the Library of the late Stanley DeForest Scott, sold to benefit the Library of the Grolier Club.
