Charles Dickens (1812-1870), Works, London: Chapman & Hall, 1873-1876, "Illustrated Library Edition", complete in 30 volumes, demy octavo, in three-quarter green leather on marbled boards, the spines with gilt lettering, rule and decoration, with marbled endpapers and edges, bookplate of T. H. Riches, 8-3/4" x 6-1/2". James Cook's 1879 bibliography of Dickens notes that "the prospectus of this edition was issued in 1873 by Messrs. Chapman & Hall, and consisted of eight pages demy octavo, four of these being occupied with specimen pages of a portion of "Nicholas Nickleby" to show the proposed size of type and page." The prospectus noted that the larger demy octavo size was to permit the reproduction of all the original illustrations, which were to be printed with the original "steels and blocks on which the artists were themselves engaged". The first volume was published in November, 1873, with new volumes following monthly until April, 1876, at a cost of ten shillings each (equivalent to about $50 today). Provenance: The Estate of Elaine Smith Frost White, Houston, Texas and East Hampton, New York.