This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/18/2019
Dickens, Charles. Hard Times. London: Bradbury & Evans, 1854. First Edition in book form. Original olive moire cloth, covers decoratively paneled in blind and ruled with two-line border, spine decoratively stamped in blind and lettered in gilt with a “Price 5/-“ at tail. Embossed stamp of “W.H. Smith & Son/186 Strand/London” to front flyleaf. 8vo. Binding sunned and browned along edges and spine, white spotting to boards, hinges slightly splitting at ends, corners and fore-edge of panels bumped, front gutter hinge starting, neat owner inscription dated in year of publication to head of title page; contents otherwise clean. Hard Times and Great Expectations are Dickens’s only novels that were not illustrated in their original appearances in book form. Hard Times appeared originally in twenty numbers of “Household Words” from April 1, 1854 through August 12, 1854 (Nos. 210 to 229). It was published in book form on August 7, 1854 (just five days before serial completion).