Books

London: John Macrone [from 1836], 1837. First Edition. Decorative Cloth. Near Fine+. Second series" of this collection of short pieces of literary journalism that marked the launch of the young author's meteoric career. Crown 8vo (194 x 120mm): [4],viii,377,[1],]pp, with 10 steel-engraved plates (including frontispiece and vignette title page dated 1836) by George Cruikshank. Complete with catalogue of Macrone's publications, dated December, 1836. Page vi is misnumbered "viii;" list of illustrations gives "Vauxhall Gardens by Day" twice in error and omits final plate, "Mr. Minns and his Cousin." All required first edition points present, per Smith, who notes: "it does not appear possible to associate definitely early or late copies totally with states of the spine, endpapers (pale yellow or blue), location of the plates and whether or not they contain the volume number, the absence or presence of the list of illustrations, and internal flaws." Publisher's original moderate…

Sketches by Boz, Illustrative of Every-day Life and Every-day People is Charles Dickens's first book, a collection of stories and essays that had been previously published in various periodicals.

Checking the name of the publisher, presence of illustrations by George Cruikshank, and the absence of 'Revised Edition' on the title page can indicate it's a first edition. It was published in two volumes.