- 537
Dickens, Charles
Estimate
9,000 - 12,000 GBP
bidding is closed
Description
- Dickens, Charles
- Master Humphrey's Clock. Chapman and Hall, 1841
- paper
8vo, first book edition, volume 2 only, illustrations by George Cattermole and Hablot K. Browne, signed by Dickens at the head of the title page ("Charles Dickens | Paris Eighteenth February 1855"), signed by (the probable recipient) Charles Oliffe on initial blank (over an earlier signature), nineteenth-century half green calf, marbled boards and edges, decorated endpapers, preserved in matching folding box, some browning, hinges partially cracked, binding rubbed
This volume is referred to in Dickens's letter to Lady Olliffe of the same date, thanking her for her note "at parting": "I have set my grosser hand to this work with unusual pleasure ..." (see extract of letter, quoted from a catalogue source, The Collected Letters, vol.VII, p.542). The Pilgrim Edition indicates that, according to the catalogue, Dickens "inscribed and sent a book of his own". However, the likeliest explanation is that the volume was delivered to Dickens at the Hotel Meurice, with Lady Olliffe's letter, for Dickens to sign at her, or her son Charles's, request - hence the unusual nature of the inscription, with a simple signature and date.
Dickens was friendly with Sir Joseph Olliffe and his wife Laura. Sir Joseph practised medicine in Paris, primarily for the English expatriate community and visitors from Britain. Several letters from Dickens are quoted in the Pilgrim Edition and the Olliffe's house was a regular destination when Dickens was in Paris. Florence Bell, the Olliffe's daughter, was an author of books for children.
This volume is referred to in Dickens's letter to Lady Olliffe of the same date, thanking her for her note "at parting": "I have set my grosser hand to this work with unusual pleasure ..." (see extract of letter, quoted from a catalogue source, The Collected Letters, vol.VII, p.542). The Pilgrim Edition indicates that, according to the catalogue, Dickens "inscribed and sent a book of his own". However, the likeliest explanation is that the volume was delivered to Dickens at the Hotel Meurice, with Lady Olliffe's letter, for Dickens to sign at her, or her son Charles's, request - hence the unusual nature of the inscription, with a simple signature and date.
Dickens was friendly with Sir Joseph Olliffe and his wife Laura. Sir Joseph practised medicine in Paris, primarily for the English expatriate community and visitors from Britain. Several letters from Dickens are quoted in the Pilgrim Edition and the Olliffe's house was a regular destination when Dickens was in Paris. Florence Bell, the Olliffe's daughter, was an author of books for children.
Provenance
Lady Oliffe or her son Charles, inscription and ownership inscription (see note above); Charles's sister Florence Bell (neé Oliffe), the children's author, with her bookplate
Literature
Eckel pp.69-70; Smith I:6
Condition
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."
"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."