Library Edition w/Illustrations by such as Marcus Stone & H.K. Browne
These are the full volumes, not abridged works; the real thing!
Chapman & Hall Ltd, London, 193 Piccadilly
11 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden W.C.
Printed by J.S. Virtue & Co., Limited, City Road, London
Bound by W. Bone & Son 76 Fleet Street, London, E.C.
Beautiful illustrations, including a frontispiece by George Cruikshank
Drawings pages are blank on the other side
Leather binding, burgundy w/faded gold lettering, no dust jackets
Some books have split bindings as these editions are very old. The pages are very readable; some smoke or water damage. Some pages are not completely separated from each other. Illustrations very clear.
Some pencil inscriptions, as they seem to have been a gift from my grandmother's friend to her in high school & then from her to my mom in high school.
Published sometime prior to 1850, as per Dickens' preface in "Sketches by Boz, dated October 1850.
Vol. 1. The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, Volume 1 of 2?
Vol. 2.? The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, Volume 2 of 2?
Vol. 3. Nicholas Nickleby, Volume 1 of 2.
Vol. 7. Old Curiosity Shop, Volume 1 of 2.
Vol. 8. Old Curiosity Shop, Volume 2 of 2. & Reprinted Pieces
Vol. 9. Barnaby Rudge Volume 1 of 2.
Vol. 10. Barnaby Rudge, Volume 2 of 2. & Hard Times
Vol. 11. Sketches by Boz.
Vol. 12. Oliver Twist.
Vol. 15. David Copperfield, Volume 1 of 2.
Vol. 16. David Copperfield, Volume 2 of 2.
Vol. 17. Pictures from Italy & America, Notes?
Vol. 18. Bleak House, Volume 1 of 2.
Vol. 19. Bleak House, Volume 2 of 2. (2 copies)
Vol. 21. Little Dorritt, Volume 2 of 2.
Vol. 22. Christmas Books.
Vol 23. A Tale of Two Cities.?
Vol. 23. Dombey & Sons, Volume 1 of 2.
Vol. 24. Dombey & Sons, Volume 2 of 2.?
Vol. 24. Great Expectations.
Vol. 25. Our Mutual Friend (Book of 4?), Volume 1 of 4.
Vol. 26. Our Mutual Friend (Book of 4?), Volume 2 of 4.
Vol. 29. Christmas Stories from Household Words & all the Year Round
The Library Edition came about largely because of the suggestion of Forster, that while Dickens's works were available in volumes in the Cheap Edition and in reprints of the serial parts, there was no high-quality edition that would appeal to the wealthy. Dickens eventually came round to the idea that an elegant edition could raise the stature of his writings. He faced a complication, in that the rights to the works were divided between Chapman and Hall and Bradbury and Evans. Consequently, the volumes contained the imprints of both publishers. With a dedication to Forster, the Library Edition appeared in 22 volumes in 1858-9 at 7s 6d per volume. Titles included Pickwick, Nickleby, Chuzzlewit, Old Curiosity Shop, Reprinted Pieces, Barnaby Rudge, Hard Times, Sketches by Boz, Oliver Twist, Dombey, Copperfield, Pictures from Italy, Bleak House, Little Dorrit, and Christmas Books. The only illustrations were the frontispieces. Between 1861 and 1874 this edition was reissued in 30 volumes with the addition of Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations, Our Mutual Friend, The Uncommercial Traveler, A Child’s History of England, Christmas Stories, and Drood. (Oxford Reader's Companion to Dickens, pp. 205-206).