Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, First Edition (363 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.

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.

First edition. First edition, first printing. "Stave I" on page [1] and every single textual point uncorrected as per Calhoun and Heaney. Todd's first impression, first issue with 15mm between wreath and left blindstamping, unbroken "D." Title page printed in preferred red and blue, dated 1843 in Roman numerals; half title and verso of title page printed in blue. Smith II.4. [viii], 166, [2] pp. with hand-colored steel engraved frontispiece and three steel engraved plates within text. Bound in publisher's brown ribbed cloth with elaborate gilt and blind stamping, all edges gilt, variant green endpapers. Near Fine with crisp stamping, hint of toning to spine, hairline crack in front gutter but binding sturdy, a few light spots of foxing to text at front, typical offsetting to endpapers. Bright internally. Tissue guards present. Housed in a custom chemise. An excellent copy of the classic Christmas story, rare in the original cloth.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: 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.

Condition: Near Fine. First Edition. 1843, 1845, 1846, 1846, 1848. First editions of all five of Charles Dickens' Christmas Books, all in their most desirable states. A Christmas Carol is the 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]. The Chimes, first edition, first issue with the publisher's name part of the vignette title page. The Cricket on the Hearth, first edition, second issue with [2pp.] ads. The Battle of Life, first edition, second of four states of the engraved title page with "A Love Story" in a scroll sans cupid; terminal ads announce the publication in parts of Dombey and Son and the bound volume of Oliver Twist. The Haunted Man, first edition, first and only issue.All five volumes uniformly bound in full teal morocco, ribbed gilt decorated spines, covers triple ruled in gilt, gilt dentelles, all edges gilt, original cloth covers and spines bound in the rear of each volume, housed in a blue cloth open ended slipcase which is rubbed. Near Fine, expert hinge repairs to "A Christmas Carol" and "The Battle Of Life". Contents tanned with the light, sporadic age-related spot. A lovely set.

Hardcover. Condition: Fine. John Leech (illustrator). First Edition. FIRST AMERICAN EDITION. Bears the bookplate of James A. Stillman (1873-1944) chief executive of National City Bank of New York and a prominent book collector An exceptionally Fine copy with almost no wear; opposite the bookplate, on the ffep, there seems to be a faint impression of an earlier erased gift inscription, which is very faint. Original blind stamped and gilt decorated dark blue cloth covers, a rare example due to its exceptionally fine condition, minimal internal ageing, all plates pristine.

Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. 1st Edition. First Edition, First Printing. This is the TRUE FIRST EDITION with following First Issue points present "Four hand colored steel-engraved plates by John Leech" "Four black and white wood-engraved illustrations by W.J. Linton" "The title page in printed in blue and red" "dated 1843 on title page" "The front board has a perfect 'D' within 'Dickens' and a 14mm closest gap from left margin to left of wreath" with two pages of advertisement present on last page." A wonderful copy with minor repair to the spine. The book is great shape. The binding is tight with NO cocking or leaning and the boards are crisp with minor wear. The pages are exceptionally clean with NO writing, marks or bookplates in the book. A sharp copy housed in a custom clamshell slipcase. We buy Dickens First Editions.

Condition: Near Fine. 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]. Bound in fine contemporary full marbled calf, gilt lettered black morocco spine label, covers ruled in gilt, gilt dentelles, red pastedowns and endpapers, all edges gilt, by J. Leighton, Brewer Street. Illustrated with 4 hand colored engraved plates by John Leech and 4 black and white illustrations by W.J. Linton. Near Fine with small vintage bookseller ticket to front pastedown and hinge at half-title page exposed though binding remains solid, pages lightly tanned. A fantastic copy in a beautiful contemporary binding. 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. First edition, first issue. A very good first edition, first state, in original cloth, with Stave 1 on page one instead of Stave One. Front and rear free end papers are missing. Housed in a custom-made collector's slipcase.

FIRST EDITION, 2nd issue. Half title, col. front. & 3 other plates by John Leech, text illus., final ad. leaf; one gathering sl. proud. Leading f.e.p. neatly replaced & with v. sl. worming in inner margin. Orig. salmon-pink vertical-ribbed cloth, blocked in blind & gilt, lettered in gilt; v. sl. rubbing to extremities of hinges, one small spot on following board. a.e.g. Overall a very clean & attractive copy, as originally published. Smith II, 4. The second issue with 'Stave One' as first chapter heading.

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.

Condition: Near Fine. Daniel Maclise, F. P. Becker, John Leech, John Tenniel, Richard Doyle, Edwin Lanseer, Marcus Stone, Clarkson Stanfield, Martin and Corbould (illustrator). First Printing of A Christmas Carol. An excellent, complete set of Dickens's Christmas books, including a first edition, first issue of "A Christmas Carol" with parts of original cloth bound-in. All volumes 16mo. uniformly bound by Tout in three-quarter green morocco over green marbled boards, spines elaborately stamped and lettered in gilt. AEG. Matching marbled endpapers. Each volume with the bookplate of The Library of B. George Ulizio Charles Dickens Collection. Spines uniformly darkened. Some occasional offsetting from the bound-in cloth. Overall, a handsome set housed in matching full red morocco pull-top slipcases, felt-lined.A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas.: First edition, first issue. Pp. [viii], [1], 2-166, followed by two pages of publisher ads. Four inserted hand-colored plates, including frontis. Original trimmed cloth from front board and spine bound-in at rear.The Chimes. A Goblin Story: First edition, first issue. Pp. [vi], [1], 2-175 followed by colophon, and publisher's notice for the tenth ed. of Christmas Carol. First state of the added engraved title and frontis. by Becker after Maclise. Original trimmed cloth from front board and spine bound-in at rear.The Cricket on the Hearth. A Fairy Tale of Home.: First edition. Pp. [viii], [1], 2-174, followed by two pages of publisher ads, including the second state of the final leaf for the new edition of Oliver Twist. Engraved title and frontis. by G. Dalziel after Maclise. Original trimmed cloth from front board and spine bound-in at rear. Small marginal repairs to pp. 59-61.The Battle of Life. A Love Story.: First edition, fourth issue. Pp. [viii], [1-3], 4-175, colophon, followed by two pages of publisher ads including Dombey and Son. Original trimmed cloth from front board and spine bound-in at rear. Faint owner signature at head of frontis.The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain: First edition. Pp. [vi], [1], 2-188, followed by two pages of publisher ads including Works by Mr. Dickens. Additional pictorial frontis. and title by Martin & Corbould after Tenniel. Original trimmed cloth from front board and spine bound-in at rear. ECKEL, pp. 110-125. SMITH, Dickens II: 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9. Leather bindings housed in red full-morocco pull-top cases with some original cloth bound-in.

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.

London v.d. Illus, 6.5x4.5", gilt dec red cloth, a.e.g. Includes: A CHRISTMAS CAROL. 1843. Covers quite worn, cocked, inner hinges cracked, scattered foxing and staining, "Scrooge's third visitor" plate (edge frayed) inserted facing p130 (instead of p78) else good. FIRST EDITION, 2nd Issue (with "Stave One", red and blue title page, yellow end papers); b) THE CHIMES. 1845. Covers worn and soiled, very scattered staining else good. FIRST EDITION, 2nd state of vignette title page ("Chapman & Hall" outside illus); c) THE CRICKET ON THE EARTH. 1846. Covers worn and soiled, back cover badly ink stained, contents browned with one tiny hole on pp149-150. FIRST EDITION, with 2nd state ad in back (3 lines in italics): d) THE BATTLE OF LIFE. 1846. Covers worn and stained, rear inner hinge cracked, rear end paper with chipped corner and erasures, contents foxed. FIRST EDITION with vignette title page Todd E1, Eckel 4th issue; e) THE HAUNTED MAN. 1848. Covers worn, extremities bumped and frayed, tear in spine cover, front cover loose, overall wear else good with bright covers. FIRST EDITION. A rare treat, all five Christmas books together! And such early issues as well. A scarce find. A similar set recently (Nov. 2004) sold at auction for $14,000!.

Condition: Near Fine. First American Edition. First American edition, first printing. Publisher's brown cloth with covers stamped in blind and spine in gilt; with four hand-colored lithograph plates and four black and white lithographed illustrations. Near Fine with slight lean to binding, wear at corners and spine ends and sunning and light spotting to cloth. Old ink ownership inscription to half-title page, light color pencil mark to first blank terminal sheet, small abrasion to top corner of rear paste down, moderate foxing throughout. A lovely copy.

Condition: Near Fine. First American Edition. First American edition, first printing. Bound in publisher's original rib-grain purple cloth, covers decorated in blind and spine stamped in gilt; handcolored lithographed frontispiece and 3 handcolored lithographedplates afterJohn Leech by P. S. Duval,4 wood-engraved platesafter Leech. Near Fine with lean to binding, fading to cloth heaviest at spine, shallow wear to spine ends and light wear to corners. Contemporary owner name to front blanks and title page, pages tanned. A lovely copy.

Hardcover. Condition: Fine. 1st Edition. First Edition, SIGNED by Arthur Rackham. This Limited Edition of 525 copies printed is bound in the ORIGINAL publisher's vellum cloth with the 12 tipped in color plates present. A beautiful copy. The binding is tight with NO cocking or leaning and the boards are crisp with minor wear to the spine and edges. The pages are clean with NO writing, marks or bookplates in the book. Overall, a wonderful copy SIGNED by Rackham. We buy SIGNED Rackham First Editions.

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.

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 second edition in brown cloth with red and blue title-page dated 1843, 'Stave One' and corrected text, Smith's second state, plates hand-colored (2 repaired), spine repaired, new endpapers, 1843; first edition of The Chimes; A Goblin Story with advertisement leaf for the tenth edition of A Christmas Carol, first state of vignette title-page, recased, 1845, Chapman & Hall; fourteenth edition of The Cricket on the Hearth, new endpapers, 1846; first edition of The Battle of Life with the vignette title-page in fourth state without imprint (Todd's E1), recased, 1846; first edition of The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain, 1848, Bradbury & Evans; all but The Christmas Carol with additional vignette titles, illustrations. In very good 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). "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.".

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, rebound in leather. Condition: Near fine. First. A very good first edition, second issue, with "Stave One" on first page. Rebound in handsome gold gilt lettered and decorated red leather. The most famous book ever written about Christmas. A classic work produced on countless stages around the world every year. Housed in a custom-made cloth slipcase.

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 is an eleventh edition, plates hand-colored, recased by Morrell [1845]; The Chimes: A Goblin Story is a sixth edition, recased [1845]; first edition of The Cricket on the Hearth, Âsecond state of advertisement leaf, spine repaired and new endpapers [1846]; first edition of The Battle of Life with vignette title-page in fourth state without imprint (Todd's E1) [1846]; first edition of The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain [Bradbury & Evans, 1848]. All but A Christmas Carol with additional vignette titles. In very good 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). "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.".

Rackham, Arthur. First edition, Deluxe Issue, one of 525 copies signed by Rackham. 12 full page mounted illustrations in color and 20 drawings in black and white by Arthur Rackham. 4to. Fine Dickens Christmas Carol Illustrated by Rackham. Notes Hudson: "[Rackham] is not usually remembered as an illustrator of Dickens, but A Christmas Carol was decidedly successful, for he contrived to adapt the tradition of 'Phiz' and Cruikshank to his own characteristic style in the pictures of Victorian London and at the same time found scope for his fantasy in the ghost scenes. We also find him here developing his special talent for silhouette, rare among illustrators.He was well qualified by sympathy to interpret Dickens in certain of his moods." Latimore and Haskell p. 44; Riall, p. 124; Hudson p. 106 Original full gilt-decorated vellum, t.e.g. Silk ties renewed. Housed in custom vellum backed box with chemise 12 full page mounted illustrations in color and 20 drawings in black and white by Arthur Rackham. 4to First edition, Deluxe Issue, one of 525 copies signed by Rackham.

[v] 158 pp. Illustrated with four hand-colored lithographs after engravings by John Leech, and four wood engravings. The frontispiece in this copy is "Mr. Fezziwig's Ball." 12mo, publisher's gift binding of pale blue ribbed cloth, gilt; with the imprint of J. C. Russell, Binder. Formerly considered the first US edition; now thought perhaps to have been preceded by the New York edition of the same year. Ownership signature in pencil, Christmas, 1844. endsheets darkened; some scattered light foxing. The spine is very slightly faded, with minor use at extremities and a two-inch structurally insignificant split to the rear joint. An attractive example. Title page in red and blue.

Full-Leather. Condition: Good. Rackham, Arthur (illustrator). First Edition. Beautifully signed and numbered at limitation page by Arthur Rackham: "This Edition is limited to five hundred and twenty-five copies, of which five hundred, numbered 1-500, are for Great Britain, Ireland and Colonies; and twenty-five, numbered 501-525, are for presentation. This is No. '363, Arthur Rackham.'" Very attractive signature and numbering in what appears to be variety of fountain pen. Publisher and year at copyright: "London: William Heinemann, 1915." Large 9 1/4" x 11 1/2" design. Cream vellum (leather) boards, gilt impressed cover design and titles, moderate shelf wear, rub, discoloration; some bow which is common with these limited editions in vellum. Cover depicts whimsical mischievous elves hanging from bells among titles and decoration; gilt spine titles and holly vignette with Heinemann at heel. Illustrated endpapers of the greedy Scrooge and ebullient transformed character. Thick heavy stock rough-cut deckled pages generally very good with attractive toning. Varying fox inside covers and at front, back few leaves. Fine illustration plates mounted on dark greenish-brown heavy stock matte leaves with borders. Includes eight full-colour plates and four additional rarities seldomly seen elsewhere by the ever enchanting artist, Arthur Rackham. Each with crisp tissue guards captioned in red. Eighteen b&w illustrations, couple of which are two-page spreads, decorative headers, vignettes, and tail pieces throughout. Bind good, square; hinges intact. Remnants of original gold ribbon set in back cover. Scarce near very good signed deluxe issue of the classic Dickens' tale. In October 1843, Charles Dickens, heavily in debt and obligated to his publisher, began work to help his family's meagre income. A Christmas Carol has long since become one of the most beloved in the English language. As much a part of the holiday season as holly, mistletoe, and evergreen wreaths, this perennial favourite continues to delight and rekindle thoughts of charity and goodwill. With its characters exhibiting many qualities often ascribed to Dickens himself, the imaginative and entertaining tale relates Ebenezer Scrooge's eerie encounters with spectral visitors. Journeying through Christmases past, present, and future, he is ultimately transformed from an arrogant, obstinate, and insensitive miser to a generous, warm-hearted, and caring human being. Written by one of England's greatest and most popular novelists, A Christmas Carol has come to epitomize the true meaning of Christmas. From preface: "I've endeavoured in this Ghostly little book to raise the Ghost of an Idea which shall not put my readers out of humour w/themselves, the season, or me. May it haunt their house pleasantly, and no one wish to lay it." - C. D. Printed in Great Britain by Richard Clay and Sons, Limited, Brunswick Street, Stamford Street, S.E. Bungay, Suffolk. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. 147 pages. Insured post. Size: 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. Signed by Artist.

Complete set of Charles Dickens' Christmas Books, comprising the first appearance of AÂChristmas Carol in red cloth, issued to match the others, and first editions of the remaining four. Octavo, 5 volumes, original cloth with gilt titles and tooling to the spine and front panels, all edges gilt. A Christmas Carol is a tenth edition with 4 hand-colored plates, spine neatly repaired [1844]; First edition of The Chimes: A Goblin Story with the advertisement leaf for the above edition of AÂChristmas Carol, second state of vignette title-page, recased [1845]; first edition of The Cricket on the Hearth, second state of advertisement leaf [1846]; first edition of The Battle of Life with vignette title-page in fourth state without imprint (Todd's E1) [1846]; first edition of The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain with p.161 numeral intact, spine ends repaired [Bradbury & Evans, 1848]. In very good condition. A very nice example. 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.".

Hard Cover. Condition: VG+. Arthur Rackham (illustrator). First (Deluxe). 4to. original decorated full vellum gilt, teg, rest uncut (some toning and spotting, lacks silk ties, tiny chip at headcap, else clean & bright throughout); pp. xvi (last blank)], 148 (last colophon), with frontispiece and 11 other colour tipped-in plates (tissue-guarded) + black and white drawings in text. No. 369 of a limited edition of 525 copies signed by the artist. 'Arthur Rackham'. A very good copy. Signed by Artist.

wrappers. Condition: very good. first. First US edition. Rare in original wrappers. Closed tear at left edge of front cover to spine, from bottom to middle. Pieces missing at rear cover and last two pages, some wear. Item very good.

Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. 1st Edition. First Editions, First Printings. All the books are bound in the publisher's original cloth and are in great shape. The bindings are tight with NO cocking or leaning with minor wear to the boards. The pages are clean with NO writing, marks or bookplates in the books. A lovely collection of these four books "The Chimes" "The Cricket on the Hearth" "The Battle of Life,The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain".

Third Edition in Original Cloth. Printed in the same month as the first edition. This copy bears all of the issue points of the first issue- with the exception of the title page, which clearly states 3rd Edition. It is likely that this was bound up from 1st issue sheets, when the demand for more copies was realised. Please see photographs from Walter E. Smith for the issue points. To highlight one example - ps 42 line 17. The W in Was is printed in Italic. Smith states that this was corrected in the second edition - but it still appears here as an italic. In particular - all of the changes that Smith states occured between the 1st and 3rd editions and in this copy, in the 1st state (see pic of table 1). Original brown buckram / cloth with blind stamped decoration to boards, and gilt titles to spine and front board. The cloth is somewhat darkened,There is a little splitting to the spine and a chip to the top edge of the spine (1cm) this has been re-glued in place, but is still obvious. Blue font on the half-title and red and blue font for the title. Stated third edition in red text to title page. Date MDCCCXLIII to bottom of title. The title is a little darkened and marked. Four hand-coloured steel-engraved plates by and after Leech and four black and white text wood-engravings by W.J. Linton after Leech. As Smith comments "The expense of the hand coloured illustrations reduced profits considerably, and Dickens, who was the actual publisher of the Carol, never again used colour in any of his books" (V.2 p 21). vi, 166, [ii]. pp Adverts for Dickens other works to rear. Pages are darkened to the edges and with some marks to them. Binding is a little shaken but still holding together. Dickens' most beloved Christmas story of Ebenezer Scrooge's redemption after being visited by three spirits on Christmas Eve. Scrooge is made to see the dangers and consequences of his miserly ways and awakens the following morning infused with the spirit of Christmas giving. "A tale to make the reader laugh and cry - to open his hands, and open his heart to charity even toward the uncharitable. a dainty dish to set before a King" (Contemporary review in London's Athenaeum magazine). 165 by 105mm (6½ by 4¼ inches). . Troisième édition en toile originale. Imprimée le même mois que la première édition. Cet exemplaire porte tous les points d'édition de la première édition, à l'exception de la page de titre, qui indique clairement qu'il s'agit de la troisième édition. Il est probable que cet exemplaire ait été relié à partir des feuilles de la première édition, lorsque la demande pour plus d'exemplaires s'est faite sentir. Veuillez consulter les photographies de Walter E. Smith pour connaître les points d'édition. Un exemple : ps 42, ligne 17. Le W de Was est imprimé en italique. Smith affirme que cela a été corrigé dans la deuxième édition, mais il apparaît toujours ici en italique. En particulier, tous les changements mentionnés par Smith ont eu lieu entre la première et la troisième édition et, dans cet exemplaire, dans le premier état (voir l'image du tableau 1). Original buckram / tissu marron avec décoration estampée à l'aveugle sur les planches, et titres dorés au dos et sur la première planche. Le tissu est légèrement assombri. Il y a une petite fissure au dos et un éclat au bord supérieur du dos (1cm) qui a été recollé, mais qui est encore visible. Police bleue sur le demi-titre et police rouge et bleue pour le titre. Troisième édition indiquée en rouge sur la page de titre. Date MDCCCXLIII au bas du titre. Le titre est un peu assombri et marqué. Quatre planches gravées sur acier en couleur à la main par et d'après Leech et quatre gravures sur bois en noir et blanc par W.J. Linton d'après Leech. Comme l'explique Smith, "le coût des illustrations colorées à la main a considérablement réduit les bénéfices, et Dickens, qui était l'éditeur du Carol, n'a plus jamais utilisé la couleur dans aucun de ses livres" (V.2 p 21). vi, 166, [ii]. pp Des publicités pour d'autres uvres de Dickens figurent au dos de l'ouvrage. Les pages sont noircies sur les bords et portent quelques marques. La reliure est un peu secouée mais tient toujours. L'histoire de Noël la plus aimée de Dickens, qui raconte la rédemption d'Ebenezer Scrooge après avoir reçu la visite de trois esprits la veille de Noël. Scrooge prend conscience des dangers et des conséquences de son avarice et se réveille le lendemain matin imprégné de l'esprit de Noël. "Un conte qui fera rire et pleurer le lecteur - pour qu'il ouvre ses mains et son c ur à la charité, même envers ceux qui ne sont pas charitables. un plat délicieux à présenter à un roi" (critique contemporaine dans le magazine Athenaeum de Londres). 165 x 105 mm.