Books

London: Chapman and Hall, 1844. Hardcover. Very Good. 8vo. First edition in book form, second issue. Half dark blue morocco, blue cloth boards, gilt compartments, brown calf spine label. Marbled edges and endpapers. xiv, [1 14-line errata leaf], 624 pp. [38] plates steel engravings by H.K. Browne, plus engraved title and frontis, bound without the half-title. Vignette on title-page with amount on sign post transposed to read "100£" and seven studs in the trunk. The 100£ reward sign on title is often referred to as a first issue point, though Hatton and Cleaver contend that there is no priority and that both plates were used in the monthly parts which preceded this first book edition. According to Smith "An earlier 13-line errata leaf exists with the same data that is found on the 14-line leaf; the setting was changed to 14-lines for a better balance." "A Tribute to Genius, Centenary Testimonial, 1812-1912" stamp with portrait of Dickens to ffep. Rubbing to extremities.…