Dickens, Charles

Master Humphrey’s Clock. Chapman & Hall, 1840-1841, 8vo, three volumes, first book edition, primary binding, wood-engraved illustrations by George Cattermole, Hablot K. Browne, Samuel Williams and Daniel Maclise, publisher’s dark grayish brown bold-ribbed cloth ornately decorated in blind on both covers, upper covers with central design of clock in gilt (with hands pointing to relevant volume number), spines ornately gilt, cloth slipcase, slightly spotted, covers scuffed [Eckel, pp.69-70; Smith I:6]; Pictures from Italy. Bradbury & Evans, 1846, 8vo, first edition, 2pp. undated preliminary advertisements and 2pp. of advertisements at end, publisher’s vertically-ribbed blue cloth, collector’s cloth chemise and slipcase, nineteenth-century owner’s inscription on front free endpaper, binding slightly scuffed, spine faded and bumped at ends; The Cricket on the Hearth. Bradbury & Evans, 1846, 8vo, illustrations by John Leech, Richard Doyle, Clarkson Stanfield, Daniel Maclise and Edwin Landseer, 2pp. undated advertisements, original deep red horizontally-ribbed cloth gilt, edges gilt, four sealing-wax marks on front free endpaper, some wear to extremities [Smith II, 6]; The Cricket on the Hearth. New York: Wiley & Putnam, 1846, 8vo, rare printing of one of several  American editions of 1846, first state of wrappers, mostly unopened, original brown printed wrappers, quarter-morocco slipcase, bookplate of George Barr McCutcheon (lot 92 in his 1926 sale), upper wrapper torn at head and foot of spine, slipcase slightly worn; The Chimes. Philadelphia: Lea & Blanchard, 1845, 8vo, first American edition; A Complete set of the Christmas books  [i.e. A Christmas Carol, The Chimes, The Cricket on the Hearth, The Story of Little Dombey [and] the Poor Traveller: Boots at the Holly-Tree Inn: and Mrs Gamp] in the “Cheap and Uniform” edition, Bradbury & Evans, 1858,  8vo, 5 volumes, first editions thus, first printings, first states of wrappers, original green printed wrappers, collector’s green morocco folding box, owner’s name erased from top of one wrapper, a few chips at spine ends, box split; The Uncommercial Traveller. Chapman & Hall, 1861, 8vo, first edition, half title, 32pp. publisher’s catalogue dated December 1860, publisher’s violet vertical wavy-grained cloth, spine blocked and lettered in gilt, bookseller’s ticket of Charles Hutt, bookplate of J.F.M. Browne, covers slightly scuffed, spine faded; The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Chapman & Hall, 1870, 8vo, first edition in book form, first state of the binding, without the publisher’s catalogue found only in some copies, original green cloth decorated in black and gilt, nineteenth-century inscription on front free endpaper, slightly spotted, binding slightly scuffed, spine bumped at head and foot; Choice Selections from the Writings of Charles Dickens. Printed for the Publisher, 1855, 8vo, rare first edition, publisher’s purple moiré cloth, gilt, library deaccession stamp and owner’s bookplate on front fixed endpaper, slight spotting, spine faded; Memoirs of Joseph Grimaldi. Edited by “Boz.” Richard Bentley, 1838, 8vo, 2 volumes, publisher’s embossed cloth, black silk slipcase, occasional slight spotting, edges browned, spines faded, some wear to extremties; The Battle of Life. Bradbury & Evans, 1846, 8vo, first edition, vignette title-page in the fourth (and usual) state, publisher’s red cloth gilt, edges gilt, hinges slightly weak, covers scuffed in places, spine bumped at head and foot; The Chimes. Philadelphia: Lea & Blanchard, 1845, 8vo, publisher's blue-grey cloth decorated in gilt, occasional slight spotting, spine slightly faded with small ink stain

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, when appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."