Twenty three volumes, plus the additional steel engraved plate in matching clamshell box. Large 8vo. One of a limited edition of 877. Designed by Francis Meynell, each volume is in different brightly coloured linen buckram with black leather title labels lettered in gilt, in original plain pale blue dustwrappers. Top edge gilt, others uncut. Original engraved steel plate from Martin Chuzzlewit,(opp. p. 702) "Mr Moddle is led to the Contemplation of his Destiny" by H.K. Browne (Phiz), number 499 of set 27, together with a letter of authenticity signed by Arthur Waugh and in the original publisher's posting box. Full page steel engraved illustrations throughout by the various original illustrators including H. K. Browne, George Cruikshank and John Leech. A fine set, the dustwrappers are uniformly tanned on the spine, but have served to protect the books, the colours of which remain bright and vibrant. The spine of Great Expectations is very slightly mottled, there is occasional offsetting from the illustrations and a couple of tiny tears and puncture holes to the dustwrappers, but this remains a fine, fresh set of a rightly celebrated edition Dickens's works. A notable rarity in the original dustwrappers.

The limitation of 877 copies was predicated by the number of engraved plates held by Dickens's original publishers Chapman & Hall, one of which was included with each set and could only be obtained by subscribers chosen by lottery. In his essay announcing its publication, The Nonesuch Dickens: retrospectus and conspectus, Arthur Waugh, noted Dickensian and managing director of Chapman & Hall, wrote that Dickens considered the illustrations to be almost as important as the text, and that "only those that he passed in his lifetime..[and].. which were executed under his eye" were used to illustrate his books. The original etched steel plates were made available to Nonesuch and the illustrations were hand printed from them and not reproduced by "mechanical processes, which inevitably lose much of the delicate quality of the line and finish preserved in the artist's handwork alone." Waugh asserted that therefore "It will never be possible for a more complete and perfect Dickens to be put on the market".
The text is taken from the "Charles Dickens" Edition, which Dickens himself approved and revised.

Stock ID: 33901