"A book should serve as the axe for the frozen sea within us."
— Franz Kafka
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
Oliver Twist; Or, The Parish Boy's Progress.
London: Chapman and Hall, no date [circa 1880]. [English literature] FINELY BOUND. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.viii; 311; [1], blank. With twenty-four engraved plates by George Cruikshank. Mid green half calf to style with gilt to spine, marbled sides, top edge gilt. Internally clean, plates with a few minor spots..... More
Martin Chuzzlewit.
London: Chapman and Hall, n.d. [circa 1870]. [Classic Literature] FINELY BOUND AND ILLUSTRATED. Octavo, pp.xvi; 624. With 40 illustrated plates by Phiz, including a frontispiece and vignette title page. Contemporary green half morocco over green pebble grained cloth boards, with raised bands, gilt titles and gilt motifs to spine. All..... More
The Chimes. A Goblin Story of some Bells that Rang an Old Yearout and a New Year In.
London: J.M. Dent and Co., 1905. [Short story] FIRST BROCK EDITION IN COLOUR. Octavo (18 x 12cm), pp.[viii]; 167; [3]. Contemporary quarter vellum over blue cloth boards, lettered, decorated in gilt to spine, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt. Colour frontispiece and numerous in-text illustrations. Textblock a little shaken with a...... 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
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.
London: Chapman and Hall, no date [circa 1895]. [Classic Literature] FINELY BOUND AND ILLUSTRATED. Octavo (22 x 17cm), pp.[2] xvi; 609 [3]. With 43 engraved plates by Browne and Seymour, including a frontispiece and vignette title page. Contemporary green half morocco, with raised bands, gilt titles and decoration to spine..... More
The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit.
London: Chapman and Hall, no date [circa 1895]. [Classic Literature] FINELY BOUND AND ILLUSTRATED. Octavo (22 x 17cm), pp.[2] 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..... More
The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit.
London: Thomas Nelson and Sons, no date [circa 1900]. [Classic Literature] FINELY BOUND AND ILLUSTRATED. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.[10] 897 [5]. With 40 engraved plates by 'Phiz,' including two frontispieces. Contemporary black half calf, with raised bands, gilt titles and decoration to spine, and light blue cloth over boards..... More
The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit.
London: Chapman and Hall, 1861. [Classic Literature] FINELY BOUND AND ILLUSTRATED. Two volumes. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.[2] xvi; 436 [2]; pp.x; 438 [2]. With 40 engraved plates, including a frontispiece to each volume and a decorated title page to volume I. In contemporary aqua full calf by James HAYDAY..... More
Bleak House.
London: Chapman and Hall, 1863. [Crime Fiction] FINELY BOUND. Two volumes. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.[2] xvi; 457 [3]; pp.[2] xii; 454 [2]. With 40 engraved plates by "Phiz," including a frontispiece to each volume and a decorated title page to volume I. In contemporary aqua full calf by James..... More
![Hard Times [and] Barnaby Rudge, part II. H. K. BROWNE, G. CATTERMOLE, F. WALKER, illustrators,...](/pictures/thumb/59156.jpg?v=1616521686)
Hard Times [and] Barnaby Rudge, part II.
London: Chapman and Hall, 1862. [Political Novel] FINELY BOUND. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.viii; 471 [3]; pp.[2] xii; 454 [2]. With 16 engraved plates, including a frontispiece. In contemporary aqua full calf by James HAYDAY, with raised bands, gilt titles to red labels on spine, further gilt decoration to spine..... More
The Old Curiosity Shop.
London: Chapman and Hall, no date [circa 1895]. [Classic Literature] FINELY BOUND AND ILLUSTRATED. Octavo (22 x 17cm), pp.[2] vi; 533 [3]. With frequent in-text illustrations, and occasional engraved plates, by various artists, including a frontispiece. Contemporary green half morocco, with raised bands, gilt titles and decoration to spine, and..... More
Sketches by Boz, Illustrative of Every-Day Life and Every-Day People.
London: Chapman and Hall, 1874. [Social Commentary and Short Stories] VINTAGE COPY, a later edition. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.[2] vi; 526 [2]. With 40 engraved plates by Cruikshank, including a frontispiece and vignette title page. Contemporary brown half morocco, with gilt titles and decoration to spine, and brown cloth..... 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 Readings of Mr. Charles Dickens, as condensed by himself: A Christmas Carol and the Trial from Pickwick.
Boston, MA: Ticknor and Fields, 1868. [Abridged Classics] FIRST THUS. Small octavo booklet (17 x 11cm), pp.53 [3]; 23 [1]. Each section with a frontispiece engraved by Eytinge Jr. Publisher's light blue paper covers, priced at 25c. Lightly browned throughout. Covers toned and marked with extensive loss to spine. A...... 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 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
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
Barnaby Rudge: A Tale of the Riots of 'Eighty.
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). With textual engravings by George Cattermole and Hablot K. Brown ('Phiz'). Smith's later issue with Piccadilly address shown on an undated title page. In our copy..... More
Dealings with the Firm of Dombey and Son, Wholesale, Retail, and for Exportation.
Leipzig: Bernhard Tauchnitz, 1847. [Classic literature] FIRST CONTINENTAL EDITION. 3 volumes. Small octavo (16 x 12 x 6cm), pp.[vi]; 352; pp.[vi]; 316; pp.[x]; 366; [2] blank. Contemporary tan quarter calf binding, titled in gilt to red label on spine, raised bands to spine, marbled paper covered boards, marbled endpapers, speckled..... 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
The Posthhumous Papers of the Pickwick Club. Containing a faithful record of the perambulations, perils, travels, adventures and sporting transactions of the corresponding members.
Leipzig: Bernhard Tauchnitz, 1842. [Literary clasic] FIRST TAUCHNITZ EDITION. 2 volumes. Duodecimo (16 x 11cm), pp.[viii]; 430; [4]; pp.[4]; 427; [1]. Tan quarter calf binding with marbled paper, lettered in gilt to spine, raised bands on spine, marbled endpapers. Pictorial frontispiece with tissue guard in volume one. Occasional spotting otherwise..... More