Shelf Life: Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper from the Library of Stanley J. Seeger and Christopher Cone

Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol. London: Chapman & Hall, 1843 FIRST EDITION, ECKEL'S FIRST ISSUE (red and blue title-page dated 1843, green endpapers, "Stave I", uncorrected text, blue half-title), 12mo (163 x 102 mm), hand-coloured engraved frontispiece, 3 hand-coloured engraved plates and 4 woodcuts in the text by John Leech, 2pp. advertisements at end, original cinnamon vertically-ribbed cloth stamped in blind and gilt, gilt edges, green endpapers, housed in a modern red quarter-calf box, front free endpaper with neatly repaired large tear, joints very slightly splitting at head of spine AN ATTRACTIVE FIRST EDITION OF DICKENS'S FIRST CHRISTMAS BOOK, THE NOVEL THAT ALMOST SINGLE-HANDEDLY INVENTED THE IDEA OF A JOYOUS CHRISTMAS. Dickens first had the idea in October 1843 and by the following month John Leech, introduced to him by George Cruikshank, was working on the illustrations. Dickens composed the story in his head while walking the streets of London at night. It was issued ten days before Christmas and 6,000 copies were sold on the first day. Dickens paid for the production on the understanding he took all the profit. It was, however, an excessively lavish and expensive production, so his profit was low even though sales were high. According to Eckel, first and second issues of the first edition have the same issue points except for the endpapers, which were originally green for the first issue, but were changed to yellow for the second issue. LITERATURE: Smith II: 4; Eckel pp. 110-115

View 1 of Lot 48: Charles Dickens | A Christmas Carol, 1843, first edition, original cloth

charles dickens | a christmas carol, 1843, first edition, original cloth

Charles Dickens Pictures from Italy. London: Bradbury & Evans, 1846 FIRST EDITION, INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR ON THE HALF-TITLE in brown ink: "The | Countess of Blessington. | From her Friend | Charles Dickens | Devonshire Terrace | Nineteenth May 1846.", small 8vo (175 x 113 mm), 4 woodcuts after Samuel Palmer, advertisement leaves at beginning and end, original blue fine-diaper cloth, covers decorated in blind with arabesque designs in corners and central circular designs, spine lettered in gilt, pale yellow endpapers, housed in a modern bespoke silk-lined brown morocco folding case by Root, London, hinges cracked A SUPERB PRESENTATION COPY, WARMLY INSCRIBED BY DICKENS ON THE DAY AFTER PUBLICATION TO HIS FRIEND LADY BLESSINGTON. This book was sent simultaneously with another presentation copy inscribed to Lady Blessington's lover (and Dickens's close friend) Count D'Orsay, as is recorded in the author's letter to Lady Blessington of the same date: "...I have been every day expecting to be able to send you the enclosed little Volume, and could get no copies until last night... Count d'Orsay's copy of the 'Pictures'. with my cordial remembrance and regard..." (Letters, volume 4, p. 548). Bradbury and Evans's accounts record 25 presentation copies in all. The copy inscribed to Count D'Orsay was offered in these rooms as part of the Lawrence Drizen Collection, 24 September 2019, lot 127. Eight of these sketches originally appeared in The Daily News from 21 January to 11 March 1846; Dickens amended and added to them for this book publication. PROVENANCE: Presented by the author to Marguerite Gardiner, Countess of Blessington (1789–1849) on 19 May 1846, presentation inscription to half-title and bookplate of Lady Blessington; sale, Christie's New York, 15 December 1995, lot 12 LITERATURE: Smith II: 7; Eckel p. 126

View 1 of Lot 49: Charles Dickens | Pictures from Italy, London, 1846, first edition, warmly inscribed by the author to Lady Blessington the day after publication

charles dickens | pictures from italy, london, 1846, first edition, warmly inscribed by the author to lady blessington the day after publication

A fourth edition of A Christmas Carol by <a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/search?query=Charles+Dickens&amp;pfilters.dateRange=upcoming" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Charles Dickens</a>.<ul><li>Charles Dickens (English).</li><li>London: Chapman and Hall, 1844.</li><li>Illustrated with 4 hand colored engraved plates by John Leech and 4 black and white illustrations by W.J. Linton.</li><li>Bound in the original straight grained rose colored cloth, gilt tile and wreath to spine and front cover, yellow pastedowns and endpapers, all edges gilt.</li></ul> Regarded as Dicken's most widely read novel and considered to be "the greatest Christmas book ever written in any language" selling more than 6000 copies in the few days leading up to Christmas. The work was extravagantly costly as Dickens for the first time (and incidentally his last) used color in the title-page and etchings as he wanted to make the book a beautiful gift and to be a celebration of the Christmas spirit. After the initial success, Dickens continued the series throughout the 1840's, maintaining "the Carol" philosophy to "strike a sledgehammer blow" for the poor, uneducated, and repressed.

A Christmas Carol In Prose Being A Ghost Story of Christmas | Fourth Edition

An attractive set of <a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/search?query=Great%20Expectations&amp;tab=objects&amp;sortBy=bsp_dotcom_prod_en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Great Expectations</a>, the most popular of <a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/search?query=charles%20dickens&amp;tab=objects&amp;sortBy=bsp_dotcom_prod_en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dickens</a>’ novels, in a contemporary binding.&nbsp;<ul><li>Sold as a set of 3 volumes.</li><li>Charles Dickens (English).</li><li>London: Chapman &amp; Hall, 1861.&nbsp;</li><li>Octavos.</li><li>Second, second, and third ‘editions’ [impressions].</li><li>Contemporary half calf gilt over marbled boards, morocco labels. </li></ul>&nbsp;&nbsp;Although the title-pages states ‘Second and third editions’, in fact the first five editions are really only different impressions of the same edition. Apart from the title-pages the only differences are in the text where the type in the earliest impressions shows fewer signs of wear and damage. The title-pages were altered to encourage sales.&nbsp;

Great Expectations

Montblanc Charles Dickens resin and sterling silver ballpoint pen.<ul><li>Model: Patron's Edition</li><li>Number: 10246/16000</li><li>Cap: Sterling silver and green resin</li><li>Barrel: Black and green resin and sterling silver</li><li>Nib/Tip: Sterling silver plated tip</li><li>Signed: Montblanc on cap, Charles Dickens on barrel</li><li>Does not include a presentation box.</li><li>This piece is final sale and not eligible for return.</li></ul>

Charles Dickens Ballpoint Pen

A first edition, Deluxe Issue copy of A Christmas Carol.<ul><li>Charles Dickens (English).</li><li>Illustrated by Arthur Rackham.</li><li>London:&nbsp;William Heinemann,&nbsp;1915.</li><li>Quarto.</li><li>Includes 12 full-page mounted illustrations in color and 20 drawings in black and white by Arthur Rackham.</li><li>One of 525 copies signed by Rackham.&nbsp;</li><li>Bound in original full gilt-decorated vellum, housed in custom vellum backed box with chemise.</li></ul>

A Christmas Carol

A <a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/luxury/books-&amp;-manuscripts/book/first-edition?locale=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">first edition</a>, second issue of <a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/search?query=Charles+Dickens&amp;pfilters.dateRange=upcoming" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Charles Dickens</a>' A Christmas Carol.<ul><li>Charles Dickens (English).</li><li>London: Chapman and Hall, 1843.</li><li>Illustrated with 4 hand colored engraved plates by John Leech and 4 black and white illustrations by W.J. Linton.</li><li>Chapter heading reading "Stave One."</li><li>Bound in the original straight grained rose colored cloth, gilt tile and wreath to spine and front cover, front cover has a perfect 'D' in 'Dickens', yellow pastedowns and endpapers, all edges gilt.</li></ul>

A Christmas Carol | First Edition

A <a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/luxury/books-&amp;-manuscripts/book?locale=en&amp;Book%20Type=Fine%2520Bindings%2520and%2520Sets" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">set</a> of the Nonesuch Press edition of the works of <a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/search?query=Charles+Dickens&amp;pfilters.dateRange=upcoming" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Charles Dickens</a>.<ul><li>Sold as a set of 25 volumes.</li><li>Charles Dickens (English).</li><li>Edited by Arthur Waugh [and others].</li><li>London: The Nonesuch Press, 1937-38.</li><li>Large octavo.</li><li>Nonesuch edition, number 433 of 877 limited sets.</li><li>With illustrations printed from the original plates.</li><li>With the original steel plate 'Fagin in the condemned Cell' from Oliver Twist, with a letter of authenticity from the publisher.</li><li>Text based upon the Charles Dickens Edition, the last to be revised by Dickens himself.</li><li>Publisher's vari-colored cloth, morocco labels, top edges gilt on the rough, others uncut.</li></ul> After the Depression of the early thirties, the Nonesuch Press was effectively saved from bankruptcy by the intervention of the American, George Macy. 'The Dickens' set was very much his project and it was due to his great energy that it was produced so quickly. It was described at the time by the Daily Telegraph as 'one of the most glorious achievements of publishing in our time. Robert Lynd in the News Chronicle declared it the most pleasant Dickens to read that has ever been published, while The Scotsman observed: No more handsome edition of Dickens has yet appeared; nor is it easy to conceive of any which might surpass this one.'

The Nonesuch Dickens

A <a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/luxury/books-&amp;-manuscripts/book/first-edition?locale=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">first edition</a>, second issue of A Christmas Carol by <a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/search?query=Charles+Dickens&amp;pfilters.dateRange=upcoming" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Charles Dickens</a>.<ul><li>Charles Dickens (English).</li><li>A Christmas Carol In Prose Being A Ghost Story of Christmas.</li><li>London: Chapman and Hall, 1843.</li><li>Chapter heading reading "Stave One", illustrated with 4 hand colored engraved plates by John Leech and 4 black and white illustrations by W.J. Linton.</li><li>Bound in fine full red morocco, ribbed gilt decorated spine, covers ruled and paneled in gilt, front cover with gilt portrait of Dickens, rear cover with Dickens signature in gilt, gilt dentelles, marbled pastedowns and endpapers, all edges gilt, original cloth covers and 1 yellow endpaper bound in, by Bayntun.</li></ul> Regarded as Dicken's most widely read novel and considered to be "the greatest Christmas book ever written in any language" selling more than 6000 copies in the few days leading up to Christmas. The work was extravagantly costly as Dickens for the first time (and incidentally his last) used color in the title-page and etchings as he wanted to make the book a beautiful gift and to be a celebration of the Christmas spirit. After the initial success, Dickens continued the series throughout the 1840's, maintaining "the Carol" philosophy to "strike a sledgehammer blow" for the poor, uneducated, and repressed.

A Christmas Carol First Edition

<a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/luxury/books-&amp;-manuscripts/book/first-edition?locale=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">First edition</a>, second issue of A Christmas Carol by <a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/search?query=Charles+Dickens&amp;pfilters.dateRange=upcoming" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Charles Dickens</a>.<ul><li>Charles Dickens (English).</li><li>London: Chapman and Hall, 1843.</li><li>Illustrated with 4 hand colored engraved plates by John Leech and 4 black and white illustrations by W.J. Linton.</li><li>Chapter heading reading "Stave One."</li><li>Bound in the original straight grained rose colored cloth, gilt tile and wreath to spine and front cover, front cover has a perfect 'D' in 'Dickens', yellow pastedowns and endpapers, all edges gilt.</li></ul> Regarded as Dicken's most widely read novel and considered to be "the greatest Christmas book ever written in any language" selling more than 6000 copies in the few days leading up to Christmas. The work was extravagantly costly as Dickens for the first time (and incidentally his last) used color in the title-page and etchings as he wanted to make the book a beautiful gift and to be a celebration of the Christmas spirit. After the initial success, Dickens continued the series throughout the 1840's, maintaining "the Carol" philosophy to "strike a sledgehammer blow" for the poor, uneducated, and repressed.

A Christmas Carol In Prose Being A Ghost Story of Christmas | First Edition

A first edition, second issue copy of the holiday classic A Christmas Carol.<ul><li>Charles Dickens (English, 1812-1870).</li><li>A Christmas Carol In Prose Being A Ghost Story of Christmas.</li><li>London: Chapman and Hall, 1843.</li><li>Illustrated with 4 hand-colored engraved plates by John Leech and 4 black and white illustrations by W.J. Linton.</li><li>Bound in the original straight grained rose-colored cloth, gilt tile and wreath to spine and front cover, yellow pastedowns and endpapers, all edges gilt.</li></ul> Regarded as Dickens' most widely read novel and considered to be "the greatest Christmas book ever written in any language" (Eckel p. 116) selling more than 6,000 copies in the few days leading up to Christmas. The work was extravagantly costly as Dickens for the first time (and incidentally his last) used color in the title-page and etchings, as he wanted to make the book a beautiful gift and to be a celebration of the Christmas spirit. After the initial success, Dickens continued the series throughout the 1840s, maintaining "the Carol" philosophy to "strike a sledgehammer blow" for the poor, uneducated and repressed.

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