DICKENS, Charles (1812-1870). Mixed First or Early Editions of The Christmas Books in the Original Cloth, including: A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being A Ghost Story of Christmas. London: Chapman & Hall, 1843. 12mo. With hand-colored frontispiece and 3 other plates, with 4 intertextual woodcut engravings throughout. [viii], [1]-166, [2, ads] pp. Bound in publisher’s full cinnamon cloth, boards decoratively ruled in blind, front board and spine stamped in gilt, light yellow endleaves. SECOND EDITION. [And:] The Chimes: A Goblin Story… London: Chapman and Hall, 1845. 12mo. With frontispiece and vignette title-page inserted at front, and 11 intertextual woodcut engravings throughout. [1, ads], [1, blank], [viii], [1]-175, [1, colophon] pp. Publisher’s full red cloth, boards decoratively ruled in blind, front board and spine stamped in gilt, yellow endleaves. FIRST EDITION WITH FIRST STATE VIGNETTE TITLE-PAGE. [And:] The Cricket on the Hearth. A Fairy Tale of Home. London: Bradbury and Evans, 1846. 12mo. With frontispiece and vignette title-page inserted at front, and 12 intertextual woodcut engravings throughout. [viii], [1]-174, [2, ads, first state of the “Oliver Twist” ad]. Publisher’s full red cloth, boards decoratively ruled in blind, front board and spine stamped in gilt, yellow endleaves. FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE. [And:] The Battle of Life. A Love Story. London: Bradbury and Evans, 1846. 12mo. With frontispiece and vignette title-page (3rd state of vignette title-page) inserted at front, and 11 intertextual woodcut engravings throughout. [viii], [1]-175, [1, colophon], [2, ads] pp. Publisher’s full red cloth, boards decoratively ruled in blind, front board and spine stamped in gilt, light yellow endleaves. FIRST EDITION. [And:] The Haunted Man and The Ghost’s Bargain. A Fancy for Christmas-Time. London: Bradbury & Evans, 1848. 12mo. With frontispiece and vignette title-page inserted at front, and 15 intertextual woodcut engravings throughout. [viii], [1]-188 pp. Publisher’s full red cloth, boards decoratively ruled in blind, front board and spine stamped in gilt, yellow endleaves. FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE. Books housed in red cloth slipcase.
Condition
Christmas Carol: spine headcap and joints repaired and restored (possibly recased), binding rubbed, soiled, corners bumped, endleaves and hinges repaired and restored, text a bit toned with occasional thumbsoiling, plates toned, foxed, a bit edgeworn. Very good. [And:] The Chimes: spine restored at head-and tailcaps (possibly recased), binding rubbed, soiled, spine and corners worn at edges, hinges starting, text a bit toned and occasionally thumbsoiled, armorial bookplate on fp. Very good. [And:] Cricket on the Hearth: spine restored at head-and tailcaps (possibly recased), binding rubbed, soiled, spine, board-edges and corners worn, text a bit toned and occasionally thumbsoiled and creased, armorial bookplate on fp. and previous owner's signature ("Mrs Bocquet 1845" - the bookplate is also for Bocquet). Very good. [And:] Battle of Life: recased, spine restored at head-and tailcaps, binding rubbed, soiled, spine, board-edges and corners worn, text a bit toned and occasionally thumbsoiled, rfep. restored at fore-edge, armorial bookplate of Landseer Mackenzie and signature of Emma Mackenzie on front endleaves. Very good. [And:] Haunted Man: spine restored at head-and tailcaps (possibly recased), binding rubbed, soiled, spine and corners worn, text a bit toned and occasionally thumbsoiled, hinges and some gutters starting, skewed. Very good.
