1848 Dombey and Son

Description

Fine Binding, Illustrated, Leather Binding

The first edition, first issue, bound from the parts with stab holes to the gutter.

With first issue points: 'Bradbury & Evans' to the engraved title page; the vignette title shows the hook on Captain Cuttle's left arm rather than his right; no quotation marks around the word 'party' to page XV line 2; 'delight' rather than 'joy' to page 284 5 lines up from the bottom; no apostrophe in 'aint' on page 14 10 lines up from the bottom; 'shewed' and 'shew' for 'showed' and 'show' to page 40 lines 16 and 17; 'fidgetty' for 'fidgety' on page 26 on line 11; no full stop to the final line to page 582; entry for the frontispiece and vignette to the list of plates; 'if' is not present to page 426 line 9; 'Capatin' for 'Captain' as the final word on page 324.

Illustrated with a frontispiece, engraved title page vignette, and thirty-eight plates. Plate 35, 'On the Dark Road' facing page 547, is the first published example of a 'dark plate'.

Collated, complete.

However, bound without the original half title and errata leaf.

Illustrated by Hablot Knight Browne, most often known by his pen-name 'Phiz'. As Phiz, he illustrated many of Dickens' novels, including 'David Copperfield', 'Dombey and Son', and 'Bleak House', as well as illustrating for 'Punch' throughout his life.

With the inscription 'E.L. Bikker' to the front free endpaper.

‘Dombey and Son’ follows Paul Dombey, the owner of a shipping company, who intends to pass down ownership of his company to his son, ignoring his daughter, Florence.