Dickens, Charles | "A Tale of Two Cities," first book edition, in the original cloth

Dickens, Charles

A Tale of Two Cities. London: Chapman and Hall, 1859

8vo (223 x 141mm). 16 etched illustrations by Hablot K. Browne ("Phiz") including frontispiece and additional title, later textual state with p.213 correctly paginated; a few spots primarily to plates and prelims, as usual, but otherwise internally very clean. Publisher's olive green fine-dipaer cloth, covers with three line border enclosing rectangular frame with chain-like design within, spine gilt-lettered, pale pink endpapers; some sunning to spine.

First book edition of one of Dickens's most popular novels (particularly in North America), his elaborate adventure story set during the second half of the eighteenth century and inspired by Thomas Carlyle's study of the French Revolution.

Smith states that this is probably a later state binding than that in red morocco cloth. This copy however has pale pink endpapers rather than the pale yellow coating recorded by Smith.

REFERENCES:

Smith I:13; Eckel 86-90

PROVENANCE:

Messenger (bookplate to front pastedown)