Fine Books & Manuscripts

DICKENS, Charles (1812–1870). American Notes for General Circulation. London: Chapman and Hall, 1842. 2 volumes. 8vo. Half–titles. Modern crimson morocco tooled with central gilt devices; a bust portrait of Dickens to upper cover and the author’s signature in facsimile to lower cover, raised bands, compartments titled and decorated in gilt, all edges gilt, broad dentelle turn–ins, gilt stamped by Bayntun–Riviere. FIRST EDITION, FIRST STATE, with the second page of Vol. I table of contents misnumbered as page xvi and 6pp. of advertisements at the end of Vol. II. Dickens preface to American Notes was removed from the preliminary pages because John Forester advised him that it might be misunderstood in America at the time and the original pagination was not immediately altered, as here, in the first state, with p. x incorrectly numbered xvi. In the second state, the preliminaries were reprinted with the correct pagination. Dickens' preface was not published during his lifetime; it first appeared in Forester’s biography of Dickens. AN ATTRACTIVE SET. Eckel, p. 108; Smith 2:3.