Books

London: Chapman & Hall, 1843. First Edition, Second State. Hardcover. Octavo, [6], 166 pages, [2] ads. In Near Fine condition. Bound in publisher's original raw sienna cloth, stamped in blind and gilt with gilt title and wreath to spine and front cover. All edges gilt. Pale yellow endpapers. Head of spine chipped off, tail of spine lightly chipped. Spine lightly cocked. Small bumping to fore edge corners. Bookplate of Charles Baker to the front pastedown. First Edition, Second State, having "Stave One" vs "Stave I" on the first chapter heading. Broken "C" in the signature on p. 17. With 2-page publisher's advertisement at rear. With hand-colored engraved frontispiece and three hand-colored plates by John Leech as well as four wood-engravings in the text by W. J. Linton after Leech. Half-title and verso of title printed in blue, title-page in red and blue. JC consignment. Shelved case 3. Smith II, 4. Eckel, p. 116 Regarded as Dickens’ most widely read novel and…

A Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens. It was first published by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a grumpy, greedy, and cold-hearted old miser who is transformed into a kind, generous man after visits by the ghost of his former business partner and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come.

One indication of the first edition of 'A Christmas Carol' is the presence of red and blue title page, a red cloth binding, and yellow endpapers. Additionally, on the verso of the title page, it should be dated 1843 and state 'London: Published for the Author by Chapman & Hall, 186 Strand.'