Lot Details & Additional Photographs
Charles Dickens. THE WORKS OF CHARLES DICKENS. (59) volumes (of a total of 60). New York: The Caxton Society, n.d. [circa 1900]. Limited edition; "Extra-Illustrated Edition of the Chapman & Hall Large Paper Dickens"; no. 4 of 15 sets. Red levant morocco, boards gilt stamped with single fillet, floral and foliate designs, and central green morocco onlaid quatrefoil, spine with raised bands, gilt-lettered compartments, and gilt and onlay decoration, with multi-color front and rear doublures with floral and foliate designs, with green silk-lined endpapers, ribbon bookmark, and all edges gilt. Each with title page printed in red and black on Japan paper, and numerous illustrations throughout including mounted engravings and drawings of characters with wash; tissue guards. Large 8vo; to include:
The Pickwick Papers (4 volumes);
David Copperfield (4 volumes);
Dombey and Son (4 volumes);
Nicholas Nickleby (4 volumes);
Bleak House (4 volumes);
Martin Chuzzlewit (4 volumes);
Little Dorrit (4 volumes);
Our Mutual Friend (4 volumes);
The Old Curiosity Shop (2 volumes);
Reprinted Pieces (1 volume);
Christmas Stories (3 volumes);
The Uncommercial Traveler (1 volume);
Barnaby Rudge (3 volumes);
Hard Times (1 volume);
The Adventures of Oliver Twist (2 volumes);
A Tale of Two Cities (2 volumes);
Great Expectations (2 volumes);
A Child's History of England (2 volumes);
Sketches by Boz (2 volumes);
Christmas Books (2 volumes);
American Notes (1 volume);
Pictures from Italy (1 volume);
Master Humphrey's Clock (1 volume);
The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1 volume).
Each 10 3/8 x 7 3/8 in.
An ornately bound set and extremely scarce at auction.
For another example of this set at auction, please see Christie's, London, December 5, 1991, Lot 380 and Doyle, New York, Rare Books, Autographs & Maps, April 11, 2025, Lot 182.
Lacking volume 35; volumes with overall light shelf wear including rubbing to extremities and occasional small scuff or area of discoloration, the spines and edges darkened, some with small areas of cracking at joints or hinges, and a couple of small chips to spine; some volumes with light fraying of silk on endpapers, light wear to gilt page edges, and minor wear to ribbons; the text blocks overall extremely clean with some light age and handling wear such as mostly mild toning, occasional grime or small stain, offsetting, and very infrequent foxing; one volume with a small damp stain on one leaf. A spectacular, very good plus set.
