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Author: Dickens, Charles
Title: The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club [with] signed Dickens envelope
Place Published: London
Publisher:Chapman and Hall
Date Published: 1837
Description:

xvi, 609 pp. Frontispiece, engraved title page, and plates by R. Seymour and Phiz. (8vo) half morocco with marbled boards and endpapers. First Edition, early issue. Possibly bound from the original parts.

Envelope signed by Charles Dickens laid in. The envelope is addressed "Mrs Austin / 90 Ledbury Road / Bayswater / W.", postmarked 2 October 1867, and measures 72x123 mm (2½x4¾"). "Mrs Austin" appears to refer to his sister, Letitia Mary Austin, née Dickens, then-widow of health reformer Henry Austin. There is a letter of the same date from Charles Dickens to his sister Letitia [Mrs. Henry Austin] in the collection of the Morgan Library & Museum under Accession No. MA 112.68, informing her that he will be travelling to America the following month.

An early issue of Dickens' first novel, with the following first issue points as noted by Hatton & Cleaver: p.260, line 29, "hodling" for "holding"; p.267, figure "7" uncorrected; two points on p.341 with correct spellings; p.342, line 5, "S. Veller" uncorrected; p.400, line 21 with "this friends"; p.432, headline, "F" in "OF" imperfect. However: signature mark "E" present on p.25.

Spine sunned, light edgewear; minor toning and foxing; early ownership inscription and some marginal annotations; envelope slightly soiled; overall very good or better.