DICKENS CharlesABAA
Dickens CharlesABAA
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club - 20 Parts in 19 - A NEAR PRIME SET HAVING 8 OF 11 POINTS REQUIRED AND ANNOTATED BY BIBLIOGRAPHER THOMAS HATTON
09063London 1837 i.e. April 1836 - November 1837: Chapman & Hall. First Edition. First edition in the original monthly parts 20 parts in 19 original green printed wrappers "With forty-three illustrations by Seymour and Phiz" and Buss. A NEAR PRIME COPY lacking just 3 of the 11 points required in Eckel's bibliography "The First Editions of the Writings of Charles Dickens 1932." Eckel enumerates 16 known Prime Copies in his book; one other Prime Pickwick has come to market since then making a total of 17 known Prime Copies. In 2014 Charles Parkhurst owned Prime Pickwick number 17 which was sold that year in a private sale. These 11 points are enumerated below. Octavo i-vviviiviii-ixx-xixii-xivxv-xvi 12-609610. This outstanding set has the supressed Buss plates in part III. Parts with first state original plates are II III Buss V VII VIII IX X XI XIII XIV XV XVII XVIII XIX/XX; the remaining plates are 2nd state. ALL plates are before letters i.e. without captions. As called for in Hatton & Cleaver plates in parts I through XII have page numbers; plates in parts XIII through XIX/XX have no page numbers It should be noted that plates 26 and 27 in part XII are 1st issue and therefore have no page number as explained in Hatton & Cleaver p. 63 and in Miller & Strange p. 45. All plates are very good to fine. Plates in part XIV are browned at edges. All front wrappers are dated MDCCCXXXVI 1836. Parts having correct or first issue wrappers are: VI VII X XI XII XIII XIV XV XVI XVII XVIII and XIX/XX; part VIII wrappers are second issue as usual first issue wrappers for part VIII are the rarest things in all of Pickwick re: Hatton & Cleaver all others are "early" state wrappers "early" here means "not first issue". Spines are expertly renewed on most parts. Owner name or initials are in margin of front wrapper of parts VII and XIX/XX. The Addresses are present in parts X XV XVII XVIII and XIX/XX. The Advertiser not issued in the first three parts is present and complete in parts XI XII XIII XIV XV XVI XVII XVIII and XIX/XX. Parts having the first issue text and in accord with Miller & Strange are parts VII X XI XII XIII XIV XV XVI XVII XVIII and XIX/XX; parts having mixed issue text are V. Parts which are complete or having all the ads and slips called for by Hatton & Cleaver are parts XI XIV XV XVI XVII XVIII; parts XII XIII and XIX/XX are lacking only one ad. Let us enumerate the 11 points required by Eckel for a Prime Pickwick: #1. All covers must bear the date 1836. #2. Parts I and II must carry the words on the front wrapper "With Four Illustrations By Seymour." #3. Part III the words "With Illustrations by R. Buss" on the front wrapper. #4. Part I must have four plates by Seymour signed and not re-etched by Phiz. #5. Part II must have 3 plates by Seymour signed. #6. Part III must have the two plates signed "Drawn and etched by R. W. Buss" and the page numbers. #7. Part IV has the two plates indistinctly signed "Nemo" and not "Phiz." #8. Parts II III X and XV must have the addresses by the Author. #9. Parts XVII XVIII and XIX/XX must have the Addresses by the publishers. #10. Plates in parts I to XII must have no captions only references to the pages where they were inserted; parts XIII to XIX/XX must have neither titles nor numerical guides. #11. On the vignette title page the name "Weller" on the signboard over the door must appear with a "V" and the signature "Phiz fecit" must surround the tablet at the bottom of the frontispiece. The present Pickwick lacks only numbers 2 3 and 8 above i.e. the illustrators names on the front wraps of parts I II and III and the Addresses in parts II and III. Descriptions of each individual part follow: Part I. Wraps are early plate 1 1st state of 1st Seymour plate; plate 2 2nd state of 1st Seymour plate; plate 3 2nd state of 1st Seymour plate; plate 4 1st state of 2nd Seymour plate VG Text is early front ad by Chapman & Hall is lacking. Part II. Wraps are early with insides blank plates are 1st issue fine text is early Address is not present. Part III. Wraps early with insides blank with the Buss plates Fine text is early lacking the Address lacks the front and rear ad. Part IV. Wraps are early plates are 1st plate second state fine text is early lacks the Advertiser. Part V. Wraps are early plates are 1st issue fine text is mixed lacks the Advertiser and 2 rear ads. Part VI. Wraps are correct first issue plates are 1st plate 2nd state VG text is early lacks the Advertiser. Part VII. Front and rear wraps are correct first issue; plates are 1st issue text is 1st issue lacks the Advertiser and rear ad. Part VIII. Wraps are 2nd issue plates are 1st plate 1st state VG text is early lacking the Advertiser and rear ad. Part IX. Front wrap is correct rear wrap is early plates are 1st plate 1st state VG text is early lacks the Advertiser and 2 rear ads. Part X. Wraps are correct 1st issue plates are 1st plate 1st state Fine text is 1st issue with the Address lacking the Advertiser. Part XI. Wraps are 1st issue plates are 1st plate 1st state VG with the Advertiser text is 1st issue complete. Part XII. Wraps are correct 1st issue plate 26 is 1st plate 1st state plate 27 is 1st plate 2nd state Fine text is 1st issue with the Advertiser lacking the Mechi ad at rear. Part XIII. Wraps are correct 1st issue plates are 1st plate 1st state VG text is 1st issue with the Advertiser lacking the rare ad "Pigot's Coloured Views." Part XIV. Wraps are correct 1st issue plates are 1st plate 1st state VG text is 1st issue with the Advertiser and rear ad complete. Part XV. Wraps are correct 1st issue plates are 1st plate 1st state VG text is 1st issue with the Advertiser with the Address and rear ads complete. Part XVI. Wraps are correct 1st issue plate 34 is 1st plate plate 35 is 2nd plate VG text is 1st issue with the Advertiser complete. Part XVII. Wraps are correct 1st issue plates are 1st plate 1st state fine text is 1st issue with all rear ads with the Advertiser with the Address complete. Part XVIII. Wraps are correct 1st issue plates are 1st plate fine with the Advertiser with the Address with all rear ads complete. Part XIX/XX. Wraps are correct 1st issue plates are first state VG text is 1st state with the Advertiser with the Address with rear ads lacking only the Mechi slip. ANNOTATED in pencil BY DICKENS' BIBLIOGRAPHER THOMAS HATTON as follows: Part III note on p. 51 "Wants Buss Plates." but Buss plates are present here. Part X note on inside rear wrap "10 1st issue." Part XII note on verso of plate #26 "1st issue / No newspaper on floor" and on verso of plate #27 "2nd issue / No hat on front bench." Part XIV note on final leaf of rear ad "93/20." Part XVII note on plate #36 "at p. 504." Housed in a custom blue quarter-leather slipcase with chemise with armorial bookplate of Charles Parkhurst. Provenance: The Hatton & Cleaver collection The Heritage Book Shop Charles Parkhurst Rare Books Inc. <br/><br/> Chapman & Hall hardcover books
