Dickens, The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, 1836-1837, first American edition

DICKENS, CHARLES

The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club. Philadelphia: Carey, Lea & Blanchard, 1836-1837

12mo (188 x 109mm.), 5 volumes, FIRST AMERICAN EDITION, parts 1 and 2 first state, Part 1 with indication thus on title or spine, Watkins Tottle only listed in preliminary advertisements, Dickinson & Ward printers, Part 2 with 'Sport-/ing' split on title-page, advertisements as called for, Part 1, 2pp. preliminary, 1pp,, 8pp, and 4pp. at end, Part 3, 4pp. preliminary, 4pp. at end, Part 4, 4pp. preliminary, volume 5, 4pp. preliminary, 2pp. and 12pp, at end, original rose cloth-backed natural boards, spines with printed labels, collector's cloth chemises and folding case, spine lettered in gilt, browned,  previous owners' inscriptions, Part 2 flaw at fore-edge p.101, pp.139-146 loose, Part 3 lacking pp.105-108, Part 4 lacking pp.201-204, hinges slightly weak or cracked, boards slightly discoloured, backstrips faded and slightly chipped at head and foot, labels slightly rubbed and chipped with some loss of text 

THE RARE FIRST AMERICAN EDITION OF "PICKWICK". Parts 1 - 4 (appearing between 5 November 1836 and 20 September 1837) precede the first book edition in London, which was published by Chapman and Hall on 17 November 1837. The fifth part of the American edition appeared on 29 December. PART 1 IS PARTICULARLY RARE IN FIRST STATE, being issued in only 1500 copies as the author was entirely unknown, and reissued as sales increased of the later parts.

The absence of proper international copyright arrangements was a huge bone of contention for Dickens for his entire life, and became a very public issue during his first American tour. Henry Charles Carey did offer the author £25 for the parts of Pickwick they had already printed in a letter to him of 14 June 1837. The firm had already published several other of his earlier works. It was the first offer of any sort made to him, but Dickens declined, simply requesting a copy of the work.

REFERENCE:

Smith First American Editions 2; Gimbel A19

PROVENANCE:

Part 1: Israel Post, New York, bookseller label; Alice Littlejohn, inscription