Books

London: Chapman and Hall, 1839. Fine. First book form edition of the first and second series complete in one volume with Chapman and Hall revised texts and re-engraved plates used in their Parts issue. Octavo (8 1/8 x 5 1/4 inches; 208 x 133 mm.). [iii-vii]viii, [1-3]4-526. Forty inserted steel engravings. Extra-illustrated by the insertion of a duplicate suite of the original engravings expertly hand-colored. Bound by Bayntun (Rivière) Bath ca. 1955 (stamp-signed in gilt on front turn-in) in full wine red crushed levant morocco over beveled boards. Covers triple-ruled in gilt, front cover with an elaborate central gilt floral and thistle design surrounding a fine hand-painted portrait miniature (2 3/4 x 2 inches; 70 x 51 mm.) of a young Charles Dickens set under glass. Spine with five raised bands elaborately tooled and lettered in gilt in compartments. Decorative gilt board-edges, wide elaborate gilt turn-ins, marbled liners and endleaves, all edges gilt. Housed in the original…

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.