Dickens, The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, 1837, first edition in book form

DICKENS, CHARLES

The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, London: Chapman and Hall, 1837

8vo (210 x 126mm.), FIRST EDITION IN BOOK FORM WITH VARIANT MULTIPLE STATES OF THE PLATES, mixed issue, 6 of 7 Smith priority first issue points, some Hatton and Cleaver first issue points, half-title, printed title dated 1837, 2pp. Address by the Author, 4pp. Preface, 4pp. Contents, 2pp. Directions to the Binder/Errata, engraved frontispiece, pictorial title-page and 41 plates by R. Seymour, R. W. Buss and H. K Browne ["Phiz"], full niger morocco gilt, covers with linear border, spine with raised bands and linear panels, title author and date in gilt, inside edges gilt, marbled endpapers, gilt edges, by Sangorski and Sutcliffe, occasional slight spotting or soiling  

A FAMILY ASSOCIATION COPY. This copy was formerly in the family of Charles Dickens' grandson, Philip Dickens. A fine copy with the plates in multiple states which makes for a fascinating examination of the variant states.

Text

Smith first issue points p. 260 'hodling', p.267 pagination misaligned, p.341 'indelicate', 'inscription', p.342 'Veller', p.400 'this', p.342 headline imperfect. Hatton and Cleaver first issue points p. 3 'ardour' and 'honourable' perfect, p.14 'heavily' and 'we' perfect, p.17 '7' slightly raised, p.148 verse misaligned, p.194 'agginets', p.202 September, upside down 'r', p.225 'reg'larly', p.389 'wi shI', p.397 'Ithink'.

Plates

Frontispiece and title-page in first and second states; plates 1-4 in three states, each second state first plate, first state second plate, and later plate with imprint, caption and pagination; plates 5-7 in two states, first state and later with imprint, caption and pagination; plates 8-9 in two states, the "suppressed" Buss plates and later Phiz plate; plates 10-11 in three states, first and second states original plate, late state with imprint, caption and pagination; plates 12-15 in two states, 12-13 first state, 14-15 second state, all with later state with imprint, caption and pagination; plate 16 in three states, first and second state, later state with imprint, caption and pagination; plates 17 - 25, 30-39 in two states, first state and later state with imprint, caption and pagination; plate 26 in four states, first plate in both states, second plate in both states; plates 28-29 and 40-41 in two states, first and second plate 

REFERENCE:

Eckel pp.17-78; Hatton and Cleaver pp.1-88; Smith I:3

PROVENANCE:

Philip Dickens, previous owner's annotation on endpaper