Together with: The Chimes, The Battle of Life, The Cricket on the Hearth, and The Haunted Man and The Ghost's Bargain
THE CHRISTMAS BOOKS
The Christmas Books : A Christmas Carol, in Prose, Being a Ghost Story of Christmas Together with: The Chimes, The Battle of Life, The Cricket on the Hearth, and The Haunted Man and The Ghost's Bargain
Chapman & Hall, 1843.
Five volumes. All first editions. A Christmas Carol is the first issue with Stave I. The Chimes is a first issue with the publisher's name as part of the engraved title page. The Battle of Life is the usual fourth state. The Cricket on the Hearth has the second state Advertisement Leaf for Oliver Twist. Each volume finely bound by Bayntun in recent full red morocco, with raised bands, gilt borders to covers and titles to spine. Gilt cartouche depicting Dickens in an oval frame to the upper cover and his signature embossed in gilt to the lower cover of each volume. All edges gilt. Marbled endpapers with gilt dentelles. A Christmas Carol has four hand coloured illustrations by John Leech. The other books with black and white illustrations, including engraved title pages or vignettes. A fine bright and handsome set, small tear to the edge of the title vignette of The Battle of Life which also has the bookplate of William Gilson Humphry at the rear.
Dickens completed writing the Christmas Carol in November 1843 and was determined to produce it as a beautiful gift book. He stipulated that it should have gilt page edges and four full page hand coloured etchings. He initially planned to have the title page printed in red and green with hand coloured green endpapers. However, upon production of the first few copies Dickens found, to his disappointment, that the title page colours looked drab and the chalky endpapers smudged and colour dusted off. He therefore changed the title page to red and blue printing.
Smith II 4, 5, 8, 9
Stock ID: 34519
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