THE POSTHUMOUS PAPERS OF THE PICKWICK CLUB

First edition, early issue. Contemporary full green morocco, possibly a presentation or publisher's 'super deluxe' binding, decorated in gilt to the upper and lower boards. Four wide gilt ruled raised bands, gilt decorated compartments and titles in gilt to the spine. Gilt decorated board edges and inner dentelles. All edges gilt. Bound from the parts. Engraved frontispiece, vignette title and 41 plates [43 in total, as called for]. First state of engraved title page (Veller) and the two suppressed plates by R. W. Buss present (facing pages 69 and 74). All 7 Seymour plates are present as called for and the Phiz plates are in the earliest state (page numbers, without publisher's imprint). A very good copy indeed, the binding square and firm with minor wear to the extremities, small nick (without loss) to the upper left corner of the front board. Tiny retailer's label 'G. Simms, Manchester' to the upper left corner of the front pastedown, the ownership name of 'L. Garnett' in ink to the front endpaper and a pencilled name 'C. Garnett Esq' to the head of the title page. The plates are spotted and darkened at the edges to various degrees; the text pages with just the odd spot of foxing to the margins are otherwise clean throughout.

An attractive, entirely unsophisticated example of Dickens' first novel, in the earliest state, containing the suppressed Buss plates and six of the seven Hatton and Cleaver first issue points within the text (that of p.25, noted as present in only one copy). First published in 19 monthly parts over 20 months between March 1836 and October 1837. (Smith: Dickens in Original Cloth Vol. I, 3; Hatton and Cleaver: A Bibliography of the Periodical Works of Charles Dickens).