Christmas Carol by Dickens Charles (Over 2,600 results)

167 x 102 mm. (6 5/8 x 4 1/8"). Five separately published works in five volumes. SUPERB OLIVE GREEN CRUSHED MOROCCO COSWAY BINDINGS BY RIVIERE & SON FROM DESIGNS BY J. H. STONEHOUSE (stamp-signed on front turn-ins), upper covers all with two inlaid red morocco banners, that at head with title in gilt, that at foot lettered "Lord keep my Memory Green," and each binding FEATURING AT CENTER AN OVAL MINIATURE PORTRAIT BY MISS C. B. CURRIE (signed in gilt on rear turn-ins), the five showing Dickens at different ages, painted on ivory under glass and surrounded by a gilt wreath of holly and mistletoe; raised bands, spines gilt in compartments with holly sprig, gilt lettering, gilt-ruled turn-ins with mistletoe sprig at corners, moss green watered silk endleaves, all edges gilt. Original cloth covers bound in at rear of each volume. An aggregate total of 53 woodcut illustrations in the texts, four engraved vignette title pages (the one in "Haunted" tinted), and eight engraved plates (the four in "Carol" nicely hand-colored), the illustrations by John Tenniel, John Leech, Daniel Maclise, Richard Doyle, and others. Carol with bound-in ALS FROM DICKENS dated 3 August 1842, and with two original green endpapers, one inscribed with a passage from Foster's "Life of Dickens," bound in at rear; "Chimes" with ALS from artist Richard Doyle dated 21 September [no year] bound in at front; "Cricket" with ALS from artist John Leech dated 17 July 1846; "Battle" with undated ALS from artist Daniel Maclise bound in; "Haunted Man" with ALS from artist John Tenniel to Dickens collector and bibliographer F. G. Kitton, dated 15 July 1896, bound in. Eckel 110-25; Smith II, 4-6, 8-9. â Spines slightly faded to a uniform medium brown (and front cover of "Haunted Man" just subtly sunned to olive brown), "Chimes" with faint foxing to engraved title opening, "Haunted Man" with light offsetting to printed title (as usual), other trivial imperfections, but A SPLENDID SET--clean and fresh internally ("Carol" being virtually pristine), and THE REMARKABLY CHARMING BINDINGS WITH NO SIGNS OF USE. This is the ultimate bibliophile's set of Dickens' five Christmas books: first editions in especially fine condition, in authentic Cosway bindings by the creators of that style, and with an autograph letter, signed by Dickens or one of the artists who illustrated these works, bound into each volume. "A Christmas Carol," the immortal story of how ghostly visitations finally inject the miserly Scrooge with the Christmas spirit, is called by Eckels "the greatest Christmas book from the pen of any man . . . . Artistically it was a pronounced success, and from a literary aspect, it has delighted millions of readers." The work is not only finely written, but its sentiments had great appeal for Victorian taste. Our copy has all of the text first issue points listed in Smith and Eckel, but those bibliographers disagree as to whether yellow (Smith) or green (Eckel) endpapers have priority. William Todd distrusted all internal issue points beyond uncorrected text, including color of the endpapers. He believed the most reliable way to determine priority of issue was by studying the location of the gilt wreath on the cover, which was stamped by a single machine. He says, "This desideratum is a single point, one encompassing all the others, and, if it is to be a sign of issue, the one last appearing in the course of manufacture." The brass stamp with the cover design shifted to the left and developed imperfections as time went on, so Todd assigned priority to volumes with the most distance (14-15 mm.) between the right edge of the blind-stamped border on the left side of the cover, and the left-most extremity of the gilt wreath and with a perfect "D" in the author's name within that wreath. By these criteria, our copy is a first issue. As an added bonus, our volume contains a letter written (and flamboyantly signed) by Dickens to Messrs. Curry and Co. concerning newspaper piracy of his works by "wholesale robbers." The warm reception of "A Christmas Carol" prompted Dickens to launch a series of four further Christmas books. "The Chimes" was described by the author to his friend (and biographer) John Foster as striking "a blow for the poor," while "The Cricket on the Hearth" presented domestic life in the ideal Victorian home. "The Battle of Life" is a love story with a happy ending (a Victorian rom-com for the holidays), and "The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain" finds another grumpy old man learning about the spirit of Christmas from a ghost. The illustrations for these works were done by some of the most popular artists of the day, including those whose letters are bound into volumes here: Richard Doyle (1824-83), who created the first cover and the masthead for "Punch"; John Leech (1817-54), well known for his political cartoons and humorous illustrations for "Punch"; Daniel Maclise (1806-70), whose professional life was devoted primarily to painting, especially portraits and historical scenes; and Sir John Tenniel (1820-1914), illustrator of "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass." This set was splendidly bound by the masters of the Cosway binding: Riviere, Stonehouse, and Currie. The "Cosway" style of binding, with painted miniatures inlaid in handsome morocco, apparently originated with the London bookselling firm of Henry Sotheran about 1909, the year G. C. Williamson's book entitled "Richard Cosway" was remaindered by Sotheran and presumably given this special decorative treatment. The name "Cosway" then was used to describe any book so treated, whatever its subject. Admirable miniatures on Cosway bindings were executed by Caroline Billin Currie (1849-1940) from 1910 until her death, creating such paintings for Sotheran's, usually (as here) from designs by J. H. Stonehouse for bindings executed by Riviere. The portraits created by Miss Currie for this work show a maturing Dickens, from youthful idealism to successful middl.

170 x 107 mm. (6 3/4 x 4 1/4"). Five separately published works in five volumes. Publisher's cloth ("Carol" in light reddish brown, the others in scarlet), decorated in gilt and blind, smooth spines with gilt lettering, "Carol" with green endpapers, the rest with yellow glazed endpapers. Housed together in a red cloth chemise inside a fine early 20th century crimson crushed morocco pull-off case by Zaehnsdorf (signed on inside top of box) designed to look like five volumes with raised bands and gilt titling. An aggregate total of 53 woodcut illustrations in the texts, four engraved vignette title pages (the one in "Haunted" tinted), and eight engraved plates (the four in "Carol" nicely hand-colored), the illustrations by John Tenniel, John Leech, D. Maclise, and others. Front pastedowns with morocco bookplate of Estelle Doheny; front free endpaper of "Carol" and "Cricket" with ink owner inscription of C. Wethered, the first dated 13 January 1844; front free endpaper of "Chimes" inscribed "Margaret Beasley / with her Nephew's love / 1845." Eckel 110-25; Smith II, 4-6, 8-9; Todd, "The Book Collector" (1961), pp. 449-54 (for "Carol"). Backstrip of "Carol" with a breath of sunning, "Cricket" and "Haunted" just very slightly cocked, faint offsetting to title page of "Haunted Man," but these imperfections merely trifling. AN UNSURPASSABLY FINE SET, everything smooth, sharp, and shining, with virtually no perceptible wear, and THE CONTENTS IMMACULATE. From the splendid library of Estelle Doheny, these volumes comprise what could easily be the finest set in the world of the first editions of Dickens' beloved Christmas novels, beginning with the immortal "A Christmas Carol," the story of the redemption of the cold-hearted miser Ebenezer Scrooge. Proclaimed by Eckels "the greatest Christmas book from the pen of any man," it was a critical and commercial success of the highest order; the work is not only finely written, but its sentiments had great appeal for Victorian taste. Our copy has all of the text first issue points listed in Smith and Eckel, but those bibliographers disagree as to whether yellow (Smith) or green (Eckel) endpapers have priority. William Todd distrusted all internal issue points beyond uncorrected text, including color of the endpapers. He believed the most reliable way to determine priority of issue was by studying the location of the gilt wreath on the cover, which was stamped by a single machine. He says, "This desideratum is a single point, one encompassing all the others, and, if it is to be a sign of issue, the one last appearing in the course of manufacture." The brass stamp with the cover design shifted to the left and developed imperfections as time went on, so Todd assigned priority to volumes with the most distance (14-15 mm.) between the right edge of the blind-stamped border next to the front joint, and the left-most extremity of the gilt wreath and with a perfect "D" in the author's name within that wreath. By these criteria, our copy is a first issue. As a result of the warm reception of "A Christmas Carol," Dickens launched a series of four further Christmas books. "The Chimes" was described by Dickens to his friend (and biographer) John Foster as striking "a blow for the poor," while "The Cricket on the Hearth" presented domestic life in the ideal Victorian home. "The Battle of Life" is a love story with a happy ending (a Victorian rom-com for the holidays), and "The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain" finds another Scrooge-like figure learning about the spirit of Christmas from a ghost. Dickens' audienceâ "and later collectorsâ "never lost their appetite for the beloved yuletide tales, in which good triumphs over evil in the spirit of the season. Estelle Doheny (1875-1958) was one of the most distinguished women book collectors of the 20th century. The wife of oil tycoon Edward Doheny, she began collecting books in the 1920s, eventually amassing a library of approximately 7,000 books and 1,300 manuscripts. Her interests included illuminated manuscripts, incunabula, and Western Americana in addition to fine and historic bindings, and her collection of fore-edge paintings was the most extensive ever assembled. In the summer of 1931, at the height of the Depression, she spent an average of $1,000 per day on books--something that would have shocked both the miser Scrooge and his crusading creator. Like virtually all sets of the Christmas books, this one was assembled over the years, but, remarkably, "Christmas Carol" and "Cricket on the Hearth" have been together since C. Wethered acquired the second title in 1845--nearly 180 years ago. And our "Chimes" was originally, as intended, presented as a Christmas gift. The handsome case by Zaehnsdorf, likely commissioned for Mrs. Doheny, has kept these copies in almost unbelievably fine condition. FIRST EDITIONS, "Carol" in FIRST STATE (closest interval between blind-stamped left border and left extremity of gilt wreath being 15 mm., "D" in Dickens on front cover in perfect condition); "Chimes" with First State of the vignette title page; "Cricket," and "Battle" in Second State ("Haunted" with no issue points).

Hardcover. Condition: Fine. 1st Edition. Rare true first printing of "A Christmas Carol. Being A Ghost Story of Christmas" by Charles Dickens. London: Chapman & Hall 1843. (Blue and Red title page, blue half title, "Stave I"). Bound in a fine signed Riviere binding with inner gilt. Four color plates + four woodcuts all by John Leech. The entirety in incredibly fine clean condition. Own the Finest.

No Binding. Condition: Fine. DICKENS, CHARLES. (1812-1870). English novelist of the Victorian era; his numerous beloved works include: A Christmas Carol , A Tale of Two Cities Barnaby Rudge , Bleak House , David Copperfield , Dombey and Son , Great Expectations , Martin Chuzzlewit , Nicholas Nickleby , Oliver Twist , The Old Curiosity Shop , and The Pickwick Papers . Simply superb Autograph Quotation Signed, "Charles Dickens", being the most famous quotation from his timeless Christmas classic: A CHRISTMAS CAROL, penned on his imprinted Gad s Hill Place, Higham by Rochester, Kent stationery, with a bold paraph under his name. One page, small square octavo. [approx. 4 1/5 x 5 inches]. Tiny paper loss in 2 corners, else excellent condition. Saturday, 13th February 1869 . Dickens writes: ''and so as Tiny Tim observed God bless us every one! Charles Dickens'' This most remarkable quotation is accompanied by a letter from Wilkie Collins wherein he notes sending the quotation, to a Mrs. Richard . COLLINS, (WILLIAM) WILKIE. (1824-89). Noted English novelist and playwright known especially for The Woman in White (1859), a mystery novel and early "sensation novel", and for The Moonstone (1868), which has been proposed as the first modern English detective novel. Excellent Autograph Letter Signed, Wilkie Collins , full page, octavo. 90, Gloucester Place, Portman Square, W. [London], February 13, 1869. Laid down to a heavier paper stock, else fine condition. Collins writes: Dear Mrs. Richard, Here is a line from The Christmas Carol , copied, dated, and signed by Dickens. I shall be sorting some old letters before long and if I find any autographs of celebrities , you shall have them. Very truly yours, Wilkie Collins . We can add nothing more to this, except to say: Exceeding rare, Exceedingly choice, and simply One of our Best of the Best .

An extraordinary letter encapsulating the moment of deciding to write A Christmas Carol A fine two-page autograph letter, on the first and third sides of a folded sheet, signed by Dickens, 10th March 1843, to social reformer Thomas Southwood Smith. After corresponding for some time about sanitary conditions for working children in England, and deciding to publish a pamphlet exposing the scandal, Dickens here writes with a change of plan. In full: My Dear Dr. Smith, Don t be frightened when I tell you that since I wrote to you last, reasons have presented themselves for depriving the production of that pamphlet until the end of the year. I am not at liberty to explain them further, just now, but rest assured that when you know them, and see what I do, and where and how, you will certainly feel that a sledge hammer has come down with twenty times the force twenty thousand times the force I could expect gy following out my first idea. When so recently as I wrote to you the other day I had not contemplated the means I shall now, please God, use. But they have been suggested by me, and I have guided myself for their service, as you shall see in due time. f you will allow our tete a tete and projected conversation on this subject, still to come off, I will write to you as soon as I see my way to the end of my month s work. Always faithfully yours, Charles Dickens . An astonishing letter written at the very moment of inspiration to write A Christmas Carol. It is, in fact, well-known that Dickens used Sledge Hammer as his working title for his novel for some time, the purpose of his book being to strike a hammer s blow on behalf of the poor children of England - a firm aim documented quite clearly in this letter.

Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. 1st Edition. First editions of all five Christmas books in extraordinary condition, featuring a near fine and unrestored copy of the true first issue of The Christmas Carol, with "Stave I" on p. [1] and with the text entirely uncorrected. With all known first issue points: title page in blue and red, dated 1843, chalky green endpapers, 14-15mm between the gilt wreath and the left margin blind-stamping on the front cover, a perfect "D" in "Dickens" in the front cover wreath. According to the most recent exhaustive study (Todd's, analyzing the front cover), this copy is of the earliest state of the first issue. Near fine condition, and rare as such. Other books also in near fine or fine condition. Cricket has second state of ad leaf in rear, and Battle of Life has the 4th state of the title page. Housed in a custom-made collector's case.

A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas. With Illustrations by John Leech. London: Chapman & Hall, 1843. First edition, first issue: i.e., "Stave I"; text entirely uncorrected; blue half-title and red and blue title. Small octavo (6 1/2 x 4 inches; 165 x 105 mm). [viii], [1]2-166, [2, publisher's advertisements] pp. Four inserted hand-colored steel-engraved plates by and after Leech and four black and white text wood-engravings by W.J. Linton after Leech. With two pages of publisher's advertisements. Original green-coated endpapers. Original cinnamon vertically-ribbed cloth. Covers decoratively stamped in blind, front cover and spine decoratively stamped and lettered in gilt, all edges gilt. With previous owner's bookplate. Overall about fine. [Together with:] The Chimes. A Goblin Story of Some Bells that Rang an Old Year Out and a New Year In. London: Chapman and Hall, 1845 [i.e., December 1844]. First edition. Small octavo (6 1/2 x 4 inches; 165 x 105 mm). [vi], [1]2-175, [1, colophon] pp. First state additional engraved title and frontispiece after Daniel Maclise, by F.P. Becker. Eleven in-text black and white illustrations after Doyle, Leech, and Stanfield. With publisher's advertisement. Original deep red, vertically ribbed cloth binding. Covers decoratively stamped in blind, front cover and spine decoratively stamped and lettered in gilt, all edges gilt. Pale yellow endpapers. Previous owner's signature on front flyleaf. Overall about fine. [With:] The Cricket on the Hearth. A Fairy Tale of Home. London: Printed and Published for the Author, by Bradbury and Evans, 1846 [i.e., December 1845]. First edition, first issue. Small octavo (6 1/2 x 4 1/4 inches; 166 x 105 mm). [viii], [1]2-174, [2 publisher's advertisements] pp. Engraved title and frontispiece after Daniel Maclise, by G. Dalziel. Twelve in-text black and white illustrations by various artists chiefly after John Leech. With the first state of the final leaf of publisher's advertisements for the new edition of "Oliver Twist." Original vertically-ribbed red cloth, covers blocked in blind, front cover and spine lettered and pictorially stamped in gilt, pale yellow endpapers, all edges gilt. Same previous owner's signature on front fly leaf. Overall about fine. [With:] The Battle of Life. A Love Story. London: Bradbury & Evans, 1846. First edition, later issue as usual. Small octavo (6 1/2 x 4 inches; 165 x 105 mm). [viii], [1]-175, [1, colophon], [2, publisher's advertisements] pp. With Eckel's fourth state engraved title and frontispiece after Maclise by Thompson. Eleven in-text black and white illustrations after Maclise, Doyle, Stanfield and Leech. Final leaf of publisher's advertisements for "Dombey and Son." Original horizontally-ribbed red cloth, covers blocked in blind, front cover and spine lettered and pictorially stamped in gilt, pale yellow endpapers, all edges gilt. Same previous owner's signature on front fly leaf. Overall about fine. [And:] The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain. A Fancy for Christmas-Time. London: Bradbury & Evans, 1848. First edition. Small octavo (6 1/2 x 4 inches; 165 x 105 mm). [8], [1]2-188 pp. With leaf of publisher's advertisements for "Works by Mr. Dickens" bound at the front. Additional pictorial frontispiece and title after Tenniel by Martin & Corbould. Fifteen in-text black and white illustrations after Leech, Stone, Stanfield and Tenniel. Original horizontally-ribbed red cloth, covers blocked in blind, front cover and spine lettered and pictorially stamped in gilt, pale yellow endpapers, all edges gilt. Same previous owner's signature on front fly leaf. Overall about fine. All five titles housed together in a custom quarter morocco clamshell. Gimbel. Hatton and Cleaver, Smith, Dickens, HBS 68729. $40,000.

[Festive Ghost Stories] ALL FIRST EDITIONS, each with an associated letter tipped-in. Five volumes, octavo (19 x 13 x 10cm). Publisher's red cloth covers (brown cloth for 'Carol') with gilt blocking and gilt edges. [1] A Christmas Carol: FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE, FIRST STATE, with uncorrected text, scarce yellow endpapers, and title page dated 1843. 'D' of Dickens on stamp to upper board is perfect, conforming to the description of the first impression, first issue binding in Smith (p.27). Also with an associated manuscript letter by Dickens, addressed to a Mr Becker, dated 1856 (published in 'The Pilgrim Edition' of the letters of Charles Dickens, the recipient likely Bernard Henry Becker, writer and journalist for Daily News and a special correspondent in Sheffield, Manchester and Ireland. [2] The Chimes: FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE, with autograph signed letter from the book's illustrator Richard Doyle. [3] Cricket on the Hearth: FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE advertisements at rear. With an autograph signed letter by Lord Francis Jeffrey, a Scottish judge and literary critic and the dedicatee of this volume. [4]The Battle of Life: FIRST EDITION, SECOND STATE title page. With autograph signed letter from the book's illustrator John Leech. [5] The Haunted Man: FIRST EDITION. With autograph signed letter from the book's illustrator John Tenniel. A clean, near fine set (occasional marks to joints where tipped-in, old description to pastedown of 'Carol'), letters with associated folds and creases, cloth generally bright. Each volume in a vintage plain red paper-backed cloth jacket and all housed in an exquisite binocular style pull-off case with full gilt backs. A very clean set, attractively presented with much additional material. Smith, Walter E., Charles Dickens in the Original Cloth, Volume II: The Christmas Books, 2 vols (Los Angeles, CA: Heritage Book Shop, 1982), pp.19-29.

Rare complete first edition set of of all five of Charles Dickensâ Christmas Books including the rare first edition of A Christmas Carol. Octavo, five volumes bound in full morocco, gilt titles and tooling to the spines in six compartments within raised gilt bands, The Christmas Carol with central gilt vignette of the Fezziwig's Ball frontispiece, the rest with central gilt portrait of Dickens or mistletoe to the front and rear panels, double gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. With the original publisher's gilt-decorated cloth bound in at the rear of each volume. The set contains: a first edition, first issue of A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being A Ghost Story of Christmas. London: Chapman & Hall, 1843 with the half-title, hand-colored frontispiece, title-page printed in blue and red, 3 hand-colored etched plates by John Leech, "Stave I" on p.[1], 2pp. advertisements at rear, with advertisement for A Christmas Carol (see The Chimes description), original publisher's green endpapers bound in at rear. A first edition of the Chimes: A Goblin Story of Some Bells that Rang an Old Year Out and a New Year In. London: Chapman and Hall, 1845 [1844] with the half-title, 13 illustrations including frontispiece and vignette title by Maclise, Doyle, Leech and Stanfield, second state of the vignette title, advertisement for A Christmas Carol bound into previous volume. A first edition of The Cricket on the Hearth. A Fairy Tale of Home. London: Bradbury and Evans for the author, 1846 [1844] with the half-title, 14 illustrations, including frontispiece and vignette title, by Leech, Doyle, Stanfield, Maclise and Landseer, 2pp. advertisement at rear. A first edition, fourth state of The Battle of Life. A Love Story. London: Bradbury and Evans, 1846 with the half-title, 13 illustrations including frontispiece and vignette title by Maclise, Doyle, Leech and Stanfield, fourth state of the vignette title, 2pp. advertisements at rear. A first edition of The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain. London: Bradbury and Evans, 1848. Half-title, 7 illustrations, including frontispiece and vignette title by Leech, Stanfield, Tenniel and Stone, 2pp. advertisement at rear. In fine condition. A very attractive rare complete first edition set. A Christmas Carol "may readily be called the Bible of Christmas. It was issued about ten days before Christmas, 1843, and 6000 copies were sold on the first day. The number of reprintings have been so many that all attempts at the figures have been futile. Altogether 24 editions were issued in the original format" (Eckel, 110). "It was a work written at the height of Dickensâ great powers, which would add to his considerable fame, bring a new work to the English language, increase the festivities at Christmastime, and contain his most eloquent protest at the condition of the poor" (John Mortimer). "Suddenly conceived and written within a few weeks, [A Christmas Carol] was the first of Dickensâ Christmas books (a new literary genre thus created incidentally) it was an extraordinary achievementâ "the one great Christmas myth of modern literature.".

In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas.With Illustrations by John Leech. London: Chapman & Hall, 1844. First edition, very rare so-called "trial issue," with title-page printed in red and green but with half-title in blue. A blue half-title with the green title-page is not a variant that Smith mentions. Foolscap octavo (6 5/16 x 4 1/16 inches; 160 x 102 mm). [viii], [1]-166, [2, publisher's ads]. With "Stave One." With all the first edition text points from Table I of Smith, except for page 21 "Gloom." Period here is faint, but Smith notes that at least five copies of the first edition exist with a faint period. Yellow endpapers. Four color-plates with tissue guards, and other intertextual black and white drawings. Calhoun & Heaney note a few variant copies of the "Stave One" issue (now generally accepted as first edition, second issue), "with a red and green title-page dated 1844.Of the two reported copies, we have examined one, and that looked suspicious. If such copies are to be accepted as authentic, they would constitute a first state of the Second Issue." More recently, Smith has examined such a copy at the W.A. Clark Library and accepted it as an authentic example of this rare issue. The red and green title-pages and the green half-titles are agreed to have been printed earlier (thus the "trial issue" moniker). Original cinnamon vertically-ribbed cloth, Front board and spine stamped in blind and gilt, back board stamped in blind. All edges gilt. Yellow coated endpapers. With some chipping and minor cloth repairs with old cloth to head and tail of spine. Some splitting along outer joints, but binding still firm. Tips and edges a bit bumped and rubbed. Some light soiling to boards. Some very light browning to leaves. Previous owner's very light, faded ink inscription on half-title. Overall a very good, clean and bright copy. Smith II, 4. Calhoun & Heaney, especially pp. 35, 48-49. HBS 68804. $22,500.

Complete set of Charles Dickensâ Christmas Books containing first editions of each volume in the series with the exception of A Christmas Carol. Octavo, five volumes elaborately bound in full crushed red morocco by Sangorski and Sutcliffe with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, double gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles, all edges gilt, illustrated. The set includes a second edition of A Christmas Carol and first editions of The Chimes, The Battle of Life, Cricket on the Hearth, The Haunted Man and The Ghostâ s Bargain. Vignette titles in each volume with the exception of A Christmas Carol. In near fine condition. Housed in a custom marbled slipcase. An attractive example of Dickens' famed work. A Christmas Carol "may readily be called the Bible of Christmas It was issued about ten days before Christmas, 1843, and 6000 copies were sold on the first day"(Eckel, 110). "It was a work written at the height of Dickensâ great powers, which would add to his considerable fame, bring a new work to the English language, increase the festivities at Christmastime, and contain his most eloquent protest at the condition of the poor" (John Mortimer). "Suddenly conceived and written within a few weeks, [A Christmas Carol] was the first of Dickensâ Christmas books (a new literary genre thus created incidentally) it was an extraordinary achievementâ "the one great Christmas myth of modern literature.".

Condition: Very Good. First Edition. First edition, first printing. First issue with title page printed in red and blue, dated 1843 in Roman numerals; half title and verso of title page printed in blue; "Stave I" on page [1] and text entirely uncorrected. Finely bound in twentieth-century half red morocco by Lloyds of Knighton, with five raised bands, gilt ruled compartments and titles in gilt to the spine, all edges gilt, and with publisher's original brown vertical fine-ribbed cloth, front, spine and rear cover, bound in at rear. Illustrated with a hand-colored steel engraved frontispeice and with 3 steel-engraved plates within text. Contents Very Good, with former owner name to half-title page, come creasing, spotting, spoiling and fingermarks throughout, and small chip with loss to bottom corner of one page not affecting text. Written by Dickens during a period when the British were exploring and re-evaluating past Christmas traditions, including carols, and newer customs such as Christmas cards and Christmas trees. He was influenced by the experiences of his own youth and by the Christmas stories of other authors, including Washington Irving. The novella captured the zeitgeist of the mid-Victorian revival of the Christmas holiday. Dickens acknowledged the influence of the modern Western observance of Christmas, and in turn, his novella would go on to later influence several aspects of Christmas traditions, including family gatherings, seasonal food and drink, dancing, games and a festive generosity of spirit.

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. First Edition, First Printing with "Stave 1" printed on page 1. The book is bound in the ORIGINAL brown cloth and has the First Issue points "title page printed in blue and red dated 1843 in Roman numerals, "green endpapers" "perfect "D" in "Dickens" in the front cover wreath". This copy has been expertly re-backed and comes with a custom slipcase.

First American edition. Small 8vo, illustrated with 8 plates after the originals by John Leech, a hand-colored frontispiece of Mr. Fezziwig's ball, three colored plates that are lithographed by P. S. Duval and four black-and-white, original brown cloth, decorated and lettered in blind and gilt on the front cover and spine, and in blind only on rear cover, by J. C. Russell, Binder. First American edition of Dickens' most popular work. replicating the first English edition, the American edition was printed by "C. Sherman, printer", as noted on the verso of the title-page. Carey & Hart's American publication was a piracy, published in blatant disregard to Dickens' impassioned plea for international copyright protection during his tour of America in 1843. The present copy is in the rare gift binding, stamped on the front cover with the binder's name, unlike in the ordinary bindings. Edgar & Vail, p. 21; Gimbel a80; McGuire Collection, 31; Wilkins, p. 38; Suzzanet Collection, p. 190, item 78 (the ordinary binding only). a short 1/8 inch closed tear at the top of the spine, slight foxing to endpapers, otherwise a remarkably fine copy of this edition, far scarcer than the English edition. Enclosed in a red half-morocco folding box.

hardcover. Condition: near fine. First. Frontispiece & 3 plates by John Leech, all hand colored as issued; 4 woodcut text illustrations. 2 pages of undated ads at end. 166 pages. Small slim 8vo, bound by Ramage in full brown morocco, spine evenly faded to tan, top edge gilt; gilt dentelles; marbled end-papers. London: Chapman & Hall, 1843. First Edition. First issue, with red & blue title page & Stave I at the beginning of the text. The blank end-leaves and half-title are foxed, but the text is clean. Armorial bookplate (also foxed).

Hardcover. Condition: Good. No Jacket. John Leech (illustrator). 1st Edition. Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, in prose, being A Ghost Story of Christmas with illustrations by John Leech . A rare first edition of this Charles Dickens novel with even rarer special publisher's binding in an original state, published by Chapman & Hall 1843. The only one of it's type we have come across. Brown illustrated covers with mild wear to the extremities, believed to be an original publisher's special binding, perhaps a presentation copy. Spine with gilt lettering with top quarter missing. We have decided not to repair this book as it is highly valuable and sought after in it's first state, so we have left it for the buyer to choose how they wish to proceed with repair work. All the fist issue points as noted in Smith 2, 4; with 'Stave 1'. Coloured frontispiece and three further plates by John Leech, all hand colored as issued - the first and only time Dickens used coloured illustrations, in his desire to make the book highly valued. It proved to be very expensive so was never repeated. Plus woodcut black and white text illustrations. No advertisments at the end of the book. Gilt coloured page ends. Coloured marble end papers with gilt edging in very good state. Wreath surrounding the title with red and blue type. Loose page ribbon. Generally in very good condition other than the spine's missing section. Stave 1 on page one. Small slim 8vo.

Original pen, ink and wash on card. Signed by the artist in the lower right hand corner and below the painting in Rackham's hand is the caption, "Mrs Cratchit brings in the Christmas Pudding, Dickens' A Christmas Carol" and a further full signature. 22.8cm x 17.8cm. The image in very good condition indeed, with a little browning to some sections of the background. Arthur Rackham and Charles Dickens are perfect companions to provide a Christmas cheer. LITERATURE: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (Heinemann, 1915) p.88. Also used as the dustwrapper artwork for an American edition of the same title.

Hardcover. Condition: Very good. Limited edition. Large 4to. Full vellum, gilt, upper board blocked in gilt with the title and an illustration by Rackham. Pictorial endpapers. Top edge gilt. Traces of rubbing to the gilt else the binding is in very nice condition, with no visible yawning of the boards, so common with this title. Cloth ties present. Page edges and endpapers toned with age; a small repair to the margin of the front free endpaper is noted (no loss) else this is a very good copy. Bookplate of former owner on the front pastedown. One of 525 numbered copies signed by the illustrator. This is No. 443. Latimore & Haskell, p. 44. .

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. A set of the five Christmas books by Dickens: 1). A Christmas Carol, in Prose, being a Ghost Story of Christmas. With illustrations by John Leech. London: Chapman & Hall, 1843. With the Stave I reading, the red and blue title, but with the typographical corrections that delineate the second edition of the same month. [8], 166, [2] pp. Frontispiece and three hand-colored plates plus four wood engravings, all by Leech. 2) The Chimes. A Goblin Story or some bells that rang an old year out and a new year in. London: Chapman & Hall, 1845. First edition, first issue (with the imprint integral to the engraved title). [8], 175, [1] pp.; the first page is the ad for the Christmas Carol; 3) The Cricket on the Hearth. A fairy tale of home. London: printed and published for the author by Bradbury and Evans, 1846. First edition, first (and only) issue. [8], 174, [2] pp., complete with half-title and ads; The battle of life. 4. A love story. London: Bradbury & Evans, 1846. First edition, Eckel's fourth issue. [8], [1-2, sectional title], 3-175 [colophon on verso of last page], ad leaf. The illustrations (by Doyle, Leech, Maclise et al) are intertextual; 5) The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain. A Fancy for Christmas-time. London: Bradbury & Evans, 1848. First edition, first (and only) issue. Five volumes uniformly bound by Tout in full maroon morocco, slipcased, all edges gilt. Joints repaired on the first volume, with a small loss to the corner of the title-page. Overall, a very nice set of Dickens' Christmas novels.

Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. Limited Edition. Title printed in red and black, with twelve mounted coloured plates (with captioned tissue-guards) and numerous drawings throughout the text by Arthur Rackham. Long recognised as a principal artist in the Golden Age of British book illustration 'A Christmas Carol' marks the first time Rackham illustrated a work by Charles Dickens. Signed by Author(s).

hardcover. Condition: fine. Rackham, Arthur (illustrator). Limited. Color frontispiece and 11 other mounted color plates by Arthur Rackham. Many b/w line drawings. 4to, white vellum, pictorially stamped and lettered in gilt. Uncut edges, t.e.g. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, no date, [1915]. Limited Edition - one of only 100 copies, signed by Rackham. An absolutely fine, bright copy, except for the missing silk ties.

Complete set of Charles Dickens' Christmas Books. Octavo, 5 volumes, original cloth with gilt titles and tooling to the spine and front panels, all edges gilt. A Christmas Carol, in Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas is a tenth edition with the half-title printed in blue, title-page printed in red and blue, verso printed in blue, hand-colored etched frontispiece and three hand-colored etched plates by John Leech, four wood-engravings in-text by W.J. Linton after Leech, 2pp. publisher's advertisements at rear. Second edition of The Chimes: A Goblin Story of Some Bells that Rang an Old Year Out and a New Year with the half-title, engraved frontispiece and pictorial vignette title page. First edition of The Cricket on the Hearth: A Fairy Tale of Home with half-title, frontispiece and vignette title page, second state ad leaf. First edition of the Battle of Life: A Love Story with half-title, advertisements, frontispiece and fourth state vignette title page. First edition of The Haunted Man and The Ghost's Bargain: A Fancy for Christmas-Time with advertisements, frontispiece and vignette title page. Each volume is in near fine condition. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. A very nice set. A Christmas Carol "may readily be called the Bible of Christmas It was issued about ten days before Christmas, 1843, and 6000 copies were sold on the first day"(Eckel, 110). "It was a work written at the height of Dickens great powers, which would add to his considerable fame, bring a new work to the English language, increase the festivities at Christmastime, and contain his most eloquent protest at the condition of the poor" (John Mortimer). "Suddenly conceived and written within a few weeks, [A Christmas Carol] was the first of Dickens Christmas books (a new literary genre thus created incidentally) it was an extraordinary achievement the one great Christmas myth of modern literature.".

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. 3rd Edition. THIRD EDITION. 1 vol., "Stave One" as the first chapter heading, title-page printed in red and blue, frontispiece & 3 plates by John Leech hand colored. Bound in the original mauve cloth, yellow pastedowns and endpapers, all edges gilt, slight sunning to edges of covers, no previous ownership markings or bookplate, head and foot of spine with the faintest of rubbing, outer hinges fine, rear inner hinge neatly renewed, mild general overall handling, a VERY GOOD+ copy seldom encountered in this condition. This was the last edition published in the same year as the original issue, which was done on Christmas eve. By the end of the next year (1844) 13 editions had been printed. According to John Eckel, "A Christmas Carol" was published on December 19th, 1843 and sold 6,000 copies on the first day. Before the end of the year, eleven days later, it was in the third edition, with the combined number of copies of the second and third editions being estimated at only two to three thousand copies. This means that the second and third editions were at least two to three times scarcer than the first.

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Third Edition. pp: [viii][1]2-166 [2]. THE THIRD EDITION bound in deep red full calf, ruled in gilt, raised bands to spine with two title pieces, one in blue and one in green, both with gilt lettering. All edge gilt with top edge rough cut, and other edges trimmed. Both paste downs are trimmed with half-inch decorative calf and remainder and end paper are in decorative red paper. The original covers are bound in at the end of the text. The book is held in a brown cloth covered clam shell case with a title piece laid down. A nearly flawless copy. When the novella was published it struck a chord with Victorian readers. Some old Christmas traditions were being revived and new ones (the Christmas tee and Christmas cards) were being introduced. Dickens completed the book in six weeks. And it was released on 17 December, 1943. It was a great success and went into multiple printings with a few months. By May, 1844 the seventh edition had been sold out. One of the features of the story is that it was adapted for the stage almost immediately. The success of the book encouraged Dickens to produce four new Christmas stories, none of which approached the popularity of A Christmas Carol.

First edition, early printings of all five of Charles Dickens' Christmas Books, finely bound. Octavo, 5 volumes, bound in full calf with elaborate gilt tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, black and green morocco spine labels lettered in gilt, double gilt ruled panels, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers. Illustrated with sixty-three engravings altogether, four in color, by Leech, Maclise, Stanfield, Doyle and Landseer. In fine condition. An exceptional set. A Christmas Carol "may readily be called the Bible of Christmas It was issued about ten days before Christmas, 1843, and 6000 copies were sold on the first day the number of reprintings have been so many that all attempts at the figures have been futile. Altogether 24 editions were issued in the original format" (Eckel, 110). "It was a work written at the height of Dickensâ great powers, which would add to his considerable fame, bring a new work to the English language, increase the festivities at Christmastime, and contain his most eloquent protest at the condition of the poor" (John Mortimer). "Suddenly conceived and written within a few weeks, [A Christmas Carol] was the first of Dickensâ Christmas books (a new literary genre thus created incidentally) it was an extraordinary achievementâ "the one great Christmas myth of modern literature.".

Signed limited edition of Rackham's illustrated edition of Dickens' classic Christmas tale. Quarto, original gilt-decorated full vellum, pictorial endpapers, illustrated with 12 tipped-in color plates with lettered tissue guards in addition to numerous black-and-white illustrations throughout the text. One of 500 numbered copies for sale in Great Britain, Ireland, and the Colonies signed by illustrator Arthur Rackham, this is number 20. In near fine condition. A Christmas Carol "may readily be called the Bible of Christmas. It was issued about ten days before Christmas, 1843, and 6000 copies were sold on the first day"(Eckel, 110). "It was a work written at the height of Dickensâ great powers, which would add to his considerable fame, bring a new work to the English language, increase the festivities at Christmastime, and contain his most eloquent protest at the condition of the poor" (John Mortimer). One of the leading literary figures during the Golden Age of British book illustration, Arthur Rackham's work is noted for its robust pen and ink drawings, which were combined with the use of watercolor, a technique he developed due to his background as a journalistic illustrator. "Arthur Rackhamâ s fanciful imagination gave his illustrations instant recognition, and his dedication to illustration kept him in the public eye for 30 years" (Hodnett, 233).

First and limited deluxe American edition, number 41 of 100 numbered copies signed by Arthur Rackham; 4to (295 x 240 mm); illustrated with a tipped-in colour frontispiece and a further 11 tipped-in colour plates, all with captioned tissue guards, numerous in-text black & white illustrations, the odd spot to first and last few leaves, else fine; publisher's deluxe full vellum binding, stamped in gilt; replacement silk ties; top edge gilt, other edges untrimmed, as published, illustrated endpapers, mild age discolouration and slight bowing to upper boards, otherwise very good indeed; (xvi), 147, (1) pp. A beautiful copy. Riall, pp. 124-25; Latimore and Haskell, pp. 44-45.

Complete set of Charles Dickensâ Christmas Books. Octavo, five volumes elaborately bound in full crushed red morocco by Root with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, double gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles, all edges gilt, illustrated. AÂChristmasÂCarol is a later state, half-title printed in blue, title page in red and blue, dated 1843, colored plates, "Stave One" as opposed to "Stave I" on first page of text; this seems to be a mixed issue composed of points associated with 1844 editions, perhaps even 1845, hard to figure out, probably done by the binder for the carriage trade. The Chimes is a second issue with "Chapman and Hall" outside the border of the vignette engraving on the engraved title page. Light old tidemark from old dampness to engraved title page and frontispiece, hard even to see it. The Cricket on the Hearth is a second state with ad leaf at the rear headed "New Edition of Oliver Twist" with three lines in italics beneath it. The Battle of Life is a later state with cupid holding a banner on the engraved title page on which is written, "A Love Story & The Haunted Man" is a first printing, light damp-stain tidemark to inner corner of some pages, including frontispiece and title. An attractive example of Dickens' famed work. A Christmas Carol "may readily be called the Bible of Christmas It was issued about ten days before Christmas, 1843, and 6000 copies were sold on the first day"(Eckel, 110). "It was a work written at the height of Dickensâ great powers, which would add to his considerable fame, bring a new work to the English language, increase the festivities at Christmastime, and contain his most eloquent protest at the condition of the poor" (John Mortimer). "Suddenly conceived and written within a few weeks, [A Christmas Carol] was the first of Dickensâ Christmas books (a new literary genre thus created incidentally) it was an extraordinary achievementâ "the one great Christmas myth of modern literature.".

First American edition. First American edition. Title-page printed in red and blue, half-title printed in blue, handcolored lithographed frontispiece and 3 handcolored lithographedplates afterJohn Leech by P. S. Duval,4 wood-engraved platesafter Leech. 1 vols. 12mo. First American Edition. In this issue, the frontispiece, like that of the Tauchnitz edition, is the plate of Marley's Ghost and Scrooge. In the gift-binding issue, the frontispiece plate is "Mr. Fezziwig's Ball," as in the first London edition. Gimbel/Podeschi A80 Publisher's rib-grain purple cloth, covers blind-panelled, spine gilt in close imitation of the Chapman and Hall design, white endpapers, plain edge. Spine faded, with slight wear to extremities; some very light browning to text. Contemporary signature of Mary Belknap on recto of frontispiece Title-page printed in red and blue, half-title printed in blue, handcolored lithographed frontispiece and 3 handcolored lithographedplates afterJohn Leech by P. S. Duval,4 wood-engraved platesafter Leech. 1 vols. 12mo.

First edition of Edward Sterling's adaptation for stage of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Nineteenth century full polished calf by Riviere and Son, five raised bands, compartments elaborately decorated in gilt, titles on deep red morocco labels to the spine. Boards triple ruled in gilt, circular corner pieces. Dark green coated endpapers. Gilt decorated inner dentelles. Top edge gilt. Title page, dedication leaf, 31pp, [3pp binder's blanks]. The binding is worn and bumped at the edges, lacking 2.5cm at the head of the spine. The contents, with a little soiling to the upper right of the title page are otherwise clean throughout. Historical dealer / collector penciled notes and codes to the front and rear blanks. While virtually all stage adaptations of Dickens's novels were piracies, Edward Sterling's version of A Christmas Carol evidently did have some degree of the author's approbation. A March 1844 broadside advertising the "Fifth Week of the Original Christmas Carol" at Theatre Royal, Adelphi boldly claims it to be "The Only Dramatic Version Sanctioned by C. Dickens, Esq." In his memoirs, Stirling recorded that Dickens attended several rehearsals and made "valuable suggestions". A letter dated 21 February 1844 to John Forster reveals that Dickens had a mixed opinion of the production: "I saw the Carol last night. Better than usual, and [Edward Richard] Wright seems to enjoy Bob Cratchit, but heart-breaking to me. Oh Heaven! if any forecast of this was ever in my mind! Yet O. [Richard John] Smith was drearily better than I expected. It is a great comfort to have that kind of meat underdone; and his face is quite perfect" (Letters, Pilgrim Ed., 4:50). It is unknown if Dickens received any sort of royalty or if Sterling simply did the author the courtesy of inviting his suggestions. Rare in commerce. We have been unable to trace any copy of the first edition at auction since the present example was sold in 1959. Notably, no copy was advertised for sale in the dispersal of either the William E. Self (Kenyon Starling) or Lawrence Drizen collections of Charles Dickens. Provenance: Maggs Bros, London. Catalogue No 428: English literature of the 19th & 20th Centuries (1922); Sothebys Auction 23rd February 1959, (sold to Hollings); George Locke (Ferret Fantasy); private UK collection. Further details and images for any of the items listed are available on request. Lucius Books welcomes direct contact with our customers.