![DICKENS, Charles (1812-70). A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas. London: Chapman & Hall, 1843. 8°. Title printed in red and blue, half title [bound after the title] printed in blue, 4 hand-coloured etched plates by John Leech, illustrations (mainly marginal staining, browning and spotting, a few leaves creased). Original brown vertically ribbed cloth lettered and decorated in gilt, green endpapers, gilt edges (rather worn, spine repaired, some staining and rubbing), modern box. FIRST EDITION, probably a first issue, with "Stave I" on first chapter heading and textual faults noted in Podeschi. Eckel pp.110-115; Podeschi A79; Sadleir 684; Smith pp.19-29; Suzannet Collection A.12.](https://www.christies.com/img/LotImages/2007/CSK/2007_CSK_05328_0038_000(031925).jpg?w=1)
Details
DICKENS, Charles (1812-70). A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas. London: Chapman & Hall, 1843. 8°. Title printed in red and blue, half title [bound after the title] printed in blue, 4 hand-coloured etched plates by John Leech, illustrations (mainly marginal staining, browning and spotting, a few leaves creased). Original brown vertically ribbed cloth lettered and decorated in gilt, green endpapers, gilt edges (rather worn, spine repaired, some staining and rubbing), modern box. FIRST EDITION, probably a first issue, with "Stave I" on first chapter heading and textual faults noted in Podeschi. Eckel pp.110-115; Podeschi A79; Sadleir 684; Smith pp.19-29; Suzannet Collection A.12.
"The greatest Christmas book from the pen of any man carried an overhead too high for a 5-shilling book. Artistically it was a pronounced success and from a literary aspect it has delighted millions of readers. It may readily be called the Bible of Christmas and the Author its Apostle" (Eckel). Owing to the disparate opinions of bibliographers we maintain that this copy is only "probably" a first issue, but it conforms to all of Eckel's first issue points. For good measure a copy of his bibliography, The First Editions of the Writings of Charles Dickens and their Values (London, 1913, ONE OF 750 COPIES) is included in the lot. (2)
"The greatest Christmas book from the pen of any man carried an overhead too high for a 5-shilling book. Artistically it was a pronounced success and from a literary aspect it has delighted millions of readers. It may readily be called the Bible of Christmas and the Author its Apostle" (Eckel). Owing to the disparate opinions of bibliographers we maintain that this copy is only "probably" a first issue, but it conforms to all of Eckel's first issue points. For good measure a copy of his bibliography, The First Editions of the Writings of Charles Dickens and their Values (London, 1913, ONE OF 750 COPIES) is included in the lot. (2)
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