Books

First edition, presentation copy, inscribed by the author at the head of the half-title, "Thomas Beard Esquire, From his old friend Charles Dickens, Devonshire Terrace, Nineteenth May 1846". The inscription is dated the day after publication. Thomas Beard (1807-1891) was almost the oldest of Dickens's friends, and their friendship was uninterrupted until the novelist's death in 1870. Dickens joined Beard as a reporter on the Morning Chronicle in August 1834 through Beard's recommendation; Beard was best man at his wedding and godfather to his eldest son (Letters of Charles Dickens, eds. Madeleine House & Graham Story, p. 3, vol. 1, 1965). Small octavo. Original moderate blue fine-diaper cloth, spine lettered in gilt, spine and covers stamped in blind, pale yellow coated endpapers. Recent custom blue morocco-backed folding case. Title vignette and 3 wood-engraved vignettes in the text. The Suzannet copy, with the engraved bookplate of Alain de Suzannet (Sotheby's, 22 Nov. 1971, lot 87, to J. E. Teale; subsequently resold at Sotheby's, 1984.) Rebacked with original spine laid down, light toning to margins, a very good copy.