1843-1848 Charles Dickens's Christmas Books: A Christmas Carol; The Chimes; The Cricket on the Hearth; The Battle of Life; The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain

Description

Colour Plates, First Edition, Illustrated, Leather Binding, Publishers' Original Binding, With Slipcase

A complete set of first editions of these celebrated 1840s festive publications from Charles Dickens. These tales are known for blending moral instruction with sentimentality, as exemplified in the best known and most enduring of these works, 'A Christmas Carol'.

'A Christmas Carol' is in a full calf binding with gilt detailing to the back strip, with remaining volumes in the publisher's cloth.

Present here are:

The first edition, third state of 'A Christmas Carol', 1843. Identified with 'Stave One' heading to page 1, blue and red title page, and blue ink to half title and title page verso. Smith, page 22.

Illustrated with a frontispiece and three further hand coloured engraved plates by John Leech. Collated, complete.

Rebound in calf, with endpapers renewed. Advertisement leaf to rear.

The 1845 first edition, second state of 'The Chimes'. With publisher's name centred and in open letters to foot of engraved title page, beneath names of engraver and artist. Smith, page 35.

Illustrated with engraved frontispiece and title page, and further vignette illustrations throughout from a variety of artists. Collated, complete.

The 1846 first edition, second state of 'The Cricket on the Hearth', identified via the advertisement leaf to the rear. Smith, page 41.

Illustrated with an engraved frontispiece and title page, and with further vignette illustrations. Collated, complete.

The 1846 first edition, fourth state of 'The Battle of Life', identified via absence of imprint to engraved title page, Smith, page 64.

Illustrated with an engraved frontispiece and title page, and further vignette illustrations. Collated, complete.

Advertisement leaf to rear.

The 1848 first edition, first state of 'The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain', Smith page 68.

Illustrated with an engraved frontispiece and title page, and further vignette illustrations. Collated, complete.

With the bookplate of William Joseph Connery to the interior of the chemise, and to the front pastedowns of 'Haunted' and Cricket'. With a small portrait of Dickens pasted to the front pastedown of 'Battle', and a contemporary inscription to front free endpaper of 'Chimes'.

Housed in a cloth chemise, and quarter morocco slip case.