Dickens, Charles | First American edition of Pickwick, in original boards

Property from the Workman Collection

Dickens, Charles

Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club Containing a Faithful Record of the Perambulations, Perils, Travels, Adventures and Sporting Transactions of the Corresponding Members. Edited by "Boz." Philadelphia: Carey, Lea & Blanchard, 1836-1837

5 vols., 12vo (185 x 111 mm). Original rose cloth-backed natural boards, spines with printed labels; extremities rubbed with some staining, spine labels chipped, joints starting. Housed in custom clamshell case.

First American edition, with part 1 in its second state, and part 2-5 in the first state. 

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. At the start of the title's  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 2; Gimbel A19