" It is a man's duty to have books. A library is not a luxury, but one of the necessaries of life. "
— Henry Ward Beecher
Charles Dickens | First Editions
1812 - 1870
Charles John Huffam Dickens (7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic, who created created some of the world's best-known fictional characters. Dickens is regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. Despite his lack of formal education, he edited a weekly journal for 20 years, wrote 15 novels, five novellas, hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles, lectured and performed extensively, was an indefatigable letter writer, and campaigned vigorously for children's rights, education, and other social reforms. His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime, and by the twentieth century critics and scholars had recognised him as a literary genius. His novels and short stories enjoy lasting popularity
Most of his novels were published in monthly or weekly instalments, and thus pioneered the serial publication of narrative fiction which became the dominant Victorian mode for novel publication. The instalment format allowed Dickens to evaluate his audience's reaction, and he often modified his plot and character development based on such feedback. His plots were carefully constructed, and he often wove elements from topical events into his narratives. Masses of the illiterate poor chipped in ha'pennies to have each new monthly episode read to them, opening up and inspiring a new class of readers. The term Dickensian is used to describe something that is reminiscent of Dickens and his writings, such as poor social conditions or comically repulsive characters.
See below our stock of Charles Dickens First Editions, original parts, and fine bindings.
Charles Dickens Museum
The Dickens Fellowship
Results 1 - 17 (of 17)
Christmas Stories from 'Household Words' and 'All the Year Round.'
London: Chapman and Hall, 1876. [Classic Literature] VINTAGE COPY with the original illustrations. Octavo (23 x 16cm), pp.[8] 709 [3]. With 14 engraved plates, including a frontispiece. Publisher's green cloth, with gilt titles and black decoration to spine and upper. Yellow coated endpapers, and all edges untrimmed. Armorial bookplate of..... More
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby.
London: Chapman and Hall, 1839. [Classic Fiction] FIRST EDITION, bound from mixed issue parts. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.xvi; 624. With 39 engraved plates by Phiz, and a frontispiece portrait of the author by Maclise. This copy does not have "visiter" for "sister" on p.123 line 17, but it does..... More
A Tale of Two Cities. With Illustrations by H.K. Browne.
London: Chapman and Hall, 1860. [Classic Literature] FIRST EDITION, THIRD ISSUE. Octavo (22 x 14cm), pp.[2] x; 254 [2]. With 16 engraved plates by "Phiz", including a frontispiece and vignette title page. One plate misbound. Lacking the signature 'b' on the list of plates, and the pagination of p.213 is..... More
Our Mutual Friend.
New York, NY: Hurd and Houghton, 1866. [Classic Literature] FINELY BOUND by M. Jackel and Co, NY. In four volumes. Crown octavo (18 x 12 x 11cm), pp.[4] 311 [3]; pp.[4] 306 [4]; pp.[4] 305 [3]; pp.[4] 284 [4]. With a steel engraved frontispiece to each volume. In an elegant..... More
The Mystery of Edwin Drood.
London: Chapman and Hall, 1870. [Crime / Mystery] FIRST EDITION in book form. Large octavo (23 x 15cm), pp.viii; 190 [34]. With 12 wood engraved illustrations after Fildes, as well as a steel engraved frontispiece and vignette title page. Publisher's green cloth, recently re-backed with the original cloth spine laid..... More
The Christmas Books. A Christmas Carol; The Chimes; The Cricket on the Hearth; The Battle of Life; The Haunted Man.
London: Chapman and Hall, 1843-1848. [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..... More
Dealings with the Firm of Dombey and Son, Wholesale, Retail and for Exportation.
London: Bradbury and Evans, 1848. [Classic Literature] FIRST EDITION. Octavo. pp. xvi, 624 [1]. Illustrated with 38 plates, vignette title page and engraved frontispiece by Phiz. Bound from the parts with the vast majority of sheets in the earliest state of the text. 'Dark' plate opp. p.547 in fine order..... More
Dealings with the Firm of Dombey and Son, Wholesale, Retail and Exportation.
London: Chapman and Hall, no date [circa 1895]. [Classic Literature] FINELY BOUND AND ILLUSTRATED. Octavo (22 x 17cm), pp.xvi; 624 [2]. With 40 engraved plates by Browne, including a frontispiece and vignette title page. Contemporary green half morocco, with raised bands, gilt titles and decoration to spine, and textured green..... More
Dealings with the Firm of Dombey and Son, Wholesale, Retail and for Exportation.
London: Chapman and Hall, no date [circa 1870]. [Classic Literature] FINELY BOUND AND ILLUSTRATED. Octavo (23 x 16cm), pp.xviii; 624 [2]. With 40 engraved plates by Browne, including a frontispiece and vignette title page. Contemporary burgundy half calf, with raised bands, gilt titles and decoration to spine, and marbled paper..... More
Dombey and Son. Or, Dealings with the Firm of Dombey and Son, Wholesale, Retail and Exportation.
London: Bradbury and Evans, 1848. [Classic literature] FIRST EDITION, EXTRA-ILLUSTRATED includes errata leaf within prelims, bound from the parts, without half-title. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.[xvi]; 624. Illustrated with frontispiece and vignette and a further thirty-eight plates, plus three additional portrait plates by H.K. Browne ('Phiz'). Period-style half brown oasis..... More
Little Dorrit.
London: Chapman and Hall, no date [circa 1895]. [Classic Literature] FINELY BOUND AND ILLUSTRATED. Octavo (22 x 17cm), pp.[2] xiv; 625 [3]. With 40 engraved plates by Browne, including a frontispiece and vignette title page. Contemporary green half morocco, with raised bands, gilt titles and decoration to spine, and textured..... More
Our Mutual Friend.
London: Chapman and Hall, 1865. [English Literature] FIRST EDITION. First issue text with 'pricipal' for 'principal', page 115 of volume II, line 38. Two volumes. Octavo, pp.[2] xii; 320 [2]; pp.[2] viii; 309 [3]. With 40 engraved plates by Stone, including a frontispiece to each volume. Complete with the half-titles..... More
Master Humphrey's Clock. To which are added Papers by Mr. Yellowplush.
Paris: Baudry's European Library, 1841. [Literature] CONTINENTAL EDITION. Two volumes, octavo (22 x 13cm), pp.[vi]; 323; [iii], blank; pp.[viii]; 131; [ii], blank. Contemporary red quarter calf binding, title labels and decorative gilt to spine, raised bands, all edges marbled, marbled endpapers and boards. The continental edition, published a year after..... More
Mrs. Lirriper's Lodgings, The Extra Christmas Number of All The Year Round, for Christmas, 1863.
London: Chapman and Hall, 1863. Octavo., 240 x 165mm., pp.48. Publisher's blue paper covers. Some expected toning and wear to cheap magazine paperstock. Owner name to margin. Fragile covers mostly complete, chipped and split at spine, disbound. A rare survival. More
The Old Curiosity Shop.
London: Chapman and Hall, [1841]. FIRST SEPARATE EDITION, bound with unaltered stereotype sheets from the original triple-decker; an unrecorded variant. Octavo (26 x 17cm), 228 leaves, Page 2 is numbered 2-38, p.47 numbered 47-79, p.96 numbered 96-102, p.224 blank, as per Smith, p.307 reverts to number 1 (not in Smith)..... More
Legends and Lyrics. A Book of Verses. New Edition with Additional Poems.
London: George Bell and Sons, 1895. [Victorian Poetry] FINELY BOUND AND ILLUSTRATED. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.[2] xxiv; 383 [3]. With 10 black and white illustrated plates by Lovering, including a frontispiece. Contemporary red full morocco, with raised bands and gilt titles to spine. Top edge gilt, with machine-marbled endpapers..... More
![Five Publishers' Sample Books]. 'Our Martyred President: The Life and Public Services of Gen....](/pictures/thumb/49285.jpg?v=1561390040)
[Five Publishers' Sample Books]. 'Our Martyred President: The Life and Public Services of Gen. James A. Garfield'; 'The London Dickens'; 'The Klondike Gold Fields'; 'Canada Under the Administration of Lord Dufferin'; 'Earl Kitchener and the Great War'.
[various publishers in North America], n.d. [c.1870's - 1910's]. [Book history] RARE PUBLISHERS' SAMPLES. Five volumes, octavo (largest volume 22 x 15cm). Each in publisher's cloth, all slim volumes lacking titles to spines. Each sample is unique, some containing lined paper at the back for the salesman to record subscribers..... More
Results 1 - 17 (of 17)