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
![Item #72180 The Works of Charles Dickens [and] The Life of Charles Dickens [and] Miscellaneous...](https://harringtonbooks-co-uk.cdn.bibliopolis.com/pictures/72180.jpg?width=320&height=427&fit=bounds&auto=webp&v=1754411575)
The Works of Charles Dickens [and] The Life of Charles Dickens [and] Miscellaneous Papers, Plays and Poems. The Gadshill Edition. With Introductions, General Essay, and Notes by Andrew Lang.
London: Chapman & Hall, Ltd., no date [1897-1908]. [Complete Works] FINELY BOUND COMPLETE WORKS, the Gadshill Edition. Complete in 38 volumes. Octavo (20 x 15cm). With original illustrations by Cruikshank and numerous additional ones by Charles Green, Harry Furniss, etc. Very fine contemporary or slightly later red half morocco for..... More
The Christmas Books. Being; A Christmas Carol, The Chimes, The Cricket on the Hearth, The Battle of Life and The Haunted Man.
London: J.M. Dent and Co., 1905-1907. [English literature] FIRST EDITIONS THUS, Illustrations in colour by Charles Brock. Five volumes, octavo (18 x 12 x 15cm). Bound in full festive cranberry red morocco with holly green labels, raised bands, gilt rules, cloth sides, top edges gilt, marbled endpapers. Housed in a...... More
The Old Curiosity Shop.
London: Chapman and Hall, n.d. [circa 1910]. [Classic Literature] FINELY BOUND. Two volumes. Octavo (21 x 15cm), pp.xvi; 370; [1], blank; pp.ii; 363; [1], blank. With introduction and notes by Andrew Lang. With the original illustrations throughout. Title pages printed in two colours. Beautifully bound by Root & Son in..... More
The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit.
London: Chapman and Hall, 1844. [Classic Literature] FIRST EDITION, with '100£' to engraved title page. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.[4] xvi; 624 [4]. With a total of 40 engraved plates by Phiz, including a frontispiece and decorated title page. In an attractive half red morocco binding, with cloth-covered sides, marbled..... More
The Personal History of David Copperfield.
London: Bradbury and Evans, 1850. [Classic Literature] FIRST EDITION, Mixed Issue, bound from the serial parts. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.xvi; 624 [2]. With the dated vignette title page, but 'screwed' to p.132, line 20. Lacks half-title. With 40 steel engravings by Phiz, including frontispiece and vignette title page. Contemporary..... More
Dombey and Son.
Philadelphia: Lea and Blanchard, 1848. [Literature] FIRST US EDITION. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.viii [2] 9-320 [2]. With 38 plates by Browne as well as a frontispiece and title-page vignette. Publisher's neatly restored dark brown cloth, decoration blind-stamped to boards, gilt title and illustration to spine. Moderate spotting and toning..... More
A Tale of Two Cities. With Illustrations by H.K. Browne.
London: Chapman and Hall, 1859. [Classic Literature] FIRST EDITION, with the following first issue points; page 213 numbered 113; 'affectionately' misspelled on page 134; the name of 'Stryver' misspelt 'Striver' on plate at page 9. Signature 'b' is not noted on list of plates (the later state). Octavo (22 x...... More
Bleak House.
London: Bradbury and Evans, 1853. [Crime Fiction] FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.xvi; 624 [2]. Typographical errors present in the first issue: p.19, line 6, 'elgble'; p.209, line 23, 'chair' instead of 'hair; and p.275, line 22, 'counsinship' instead of 'cousinship'. Lacks the half-title. With 40 engraved..... More
![Item #70442 Master Humphrey's Clock [The Old Curiosity Shop; Barnaby Rudge]. George...](https://harringtonbooks-co-uk.cdn.bibliopolis.com/pictures/70442.jpg?width=320&height=427&fit=bounds&auto=webp&v=1734369590)
Master Humphrey's Clock [The Old Curiosity Shop; Barnaby Rudge].
London: Chapman and Hall, 1840-41. [English Literature] FIRST EDITION in book-form. 3 volumes bound as two, quartos (25 x 17 x 9cm), pp.[2] iv; 306, pp.vi; 306, pp.vi; 426 [4]. With illustrations by George Cattermole and Hablot Browne. Bound in early twentieth-century half native red morocco, gilt, over green buckram..... More
Sketches by Boz, Illustrative of Every-Day Life and Every-Day People.
London: Chapman and Hall, 1850. [Literature] FIRST 'CHEAP' EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.xiv; [ii]; 303; [1]. Contemporary brown quarter calf, marbled paper over boards. With black morocco title label and raised bands to spine. Illustrated frontispiece, tan endpapers, all edges marbled. Text in two columns. Spotting to preliminaries and..... More
The Mystery of Edwin Drood.
London: Chapman and Hall, 1870. [Crime Mystery] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.viii; 190 [2]. With twelve engravings by Fildes and a frontispiece portrait of Dickens. Contemporary half scarlet calf over marbled paper-covered sides, full gilt back, marbled edges and endpapers. Nineteenth century book label 'Henry William Symes'. All..... More
The Mystery of Edwin Drood.
London: Chapman and Hall, 1870. [Crime Mystery] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.viii; 190 [2]. With twelve engravings by Fildes and a frontispiece portrait of Dickens. With the blue-green paper cover of one of the original parts pasted to first blank. Contemporary black half calf, with raised bands, gilt..... More
Little Dorrit.
New York, NY: The Heritage Press, 1956. [Classic Literature] FINELY BOUND ILLUSTRATED EDITION. Octavo (23 x 16cm), pp.xx; 802 [4]. With 12 colour illustrated plates by Korach, including a frontispiece. Contemporary red full morocco by BAYNTUN of Bath for Brentano's of Chicago, with raised bands, gilt titles and decoration to..... More
A Christmas Carol in Prose, being a Ghost Story of Christmas.
London: Chapman and Hall, 1886. [Christmas Ghost Story] STEREOTYPE EDITION. Small octavo (18 x 12cm), pp.[8] 166 [2]. With four woodcut plates by Leech, including a frontispiece, and four further woodcuts in-text. Publisher's red cloth with gilt titles to spine and gilt wreath motif to upper. Fore-edge untrimmed, with advertisements..... More
Dealings with the Firm of Dombey and Son, Wholesale, Retail and for Exportation.
London: Bradbury and Evans, 1848. [Classic Literature] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 14cm), pp.xvi, 624 [1]. Illustrated with 38 plates, vignette title page and engraved frontispiece by Phiz. Bound from the parts with many of the of sheets in the earliest state of the text. 'Dark' plate pp.547 in fine..... More
Dealings with the Firm of Dombey and Son, Wholesale, Retail and Exportation.
London: Bradbury and Evans, 1848. [Classic Literature] FIRST EDITION, Mixed Issue. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.xviii; 624 [2]. With 40 engraved plates by Phiz, including a frontispiece and vignette title. Lacks the half-title. Contains most first issue points, but 'Birds-Eye' is hyphenated in the Contents. Contemporary tan half calf, with..... More
Dealings with the Firm of Dombey and Son, Wholesale, Retail and Exportation.
London: Bradbury and Evans, 1848. [Classic Literature] FIRST EDITION, Mixed Issue. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.xviii; 624 [2]. With 40 engraved plates by Phiz, including a frontispiece and vignette title. Extra-illustrated with later engraved plates by Chapman and Hall, depicting Little Paul, Florence, Edith and Alice. Lacks the half-title. Contains..... 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
The Works of Charles Dickens.
London: Chapman and Hall, Ltd., no date [1894]. [Literature] FINELY BOUND CROWN EDITION. Complete in 17 volumes, bound at 16. Octavo (21 x 15 x 60 cm). With illustrations from the original plates by Cruikshank, Stone, Phiz, et al., printed with new type. Contemporary navy half calf, with gilt titles..... More
The Uncommercial Traveller.
London: Chapman and Hall, 1866. [Classic Literature] FINELY BOUND NEW EDITION. Octavo (19 x 12cm), pp.viii; 204 [2]. With a frontispiece engraving by Pinwell. Contemporary dark green half calf, with raised bands, gilt titles to orange label, further gilt decoration to spine, and marbled paper over boards. All edges and..... 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 bound as one. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.[2] xii; 320 [2]; pp.[2] viii; 309 [3]. With 40 engraved plates by Stone, including a frontispiece to..... 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. Complete in two volumes, bound as one, without half-titles. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.xii; 320; viii; 309 [3]. With 40 engraved plates by Stone, including a frontispiece..... More
The Battle of Life. A Love Story.
London: Bradbury and Evans, 1846. [Christmas story] FIRST EDITION, second state engraved title-page. Scarce. Octavo (17 x 11cm), pp.[8] 175 [3]. With thirteen engraved illustrations by various artists, including a frontispiece and vignette title-page by Daniel Maclise. Publisher's red ribbed cloth, border ornamentation blocked in blind to boards. Pictorial designs..... More
The Battle of Life. A Love Story.
London: Bradbury and Evans, 1846. [Christmas story] FIRST EDITION, fourth issue. Octavo (17 x 11cm), pp.[8] 175 [3]. With thirteen engraved illustrations by various artists, including a frontispiece and vignette title-page by Daniel Maclise. Publisher's red ribbed cloth, border ornamentation blocked in blind to boards. Pictorial designs and titles in..... More
Christmas Stories from 'All the Year Round': The Haunted House; A Message from the Sea; Tom Tiddler's Ground; Somebody's Luggage; Mrs. Lirriper's Lodgings; Mrs. Lirriper's Legacy; Doctor Marigold's Prescriptions.
London: Chapman and Hall, 1859-1865. [Classic Literature] FIRST APPEARANCES. Seven Extra Christmas Numbers bound together, with the original covers for the last three titles. Octavo (25 x 17cm), pp.[4] 48; 48; 48; 48; 48; [4] 48; 48 [4]. Small print over two columns. With the blue front and rear covers..... More