The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club - 20 Parts in 19 - A NEAR PRIME SET, Having 9 of 11 Points Required. ANNOTATED By Bibliographer Thomas Hatton

London (April 1836-November 1837): Chapman & Hall. First Edition. Original Wraps. [A more detailed description of this item may be seen on our website, parkhurstrarebooks.com]. First edition in the original monthly parts; 20 parts in 19, original green wrappers. With 43 illustrations by Seymour, Phiz and Buss; of these 43 plates, 30 are first issue. A NEAR PRIME COPY, lacking just 2 of the 11 points required in Eckel's bibliography "The First Editions of the Writings of Charles Dickens." These 11 points are repeated here, with comments: (1) All [front] covers must bear the date 1836 - they do. (2) Parts I and II front wrap must carry the words "With Four Illustrations By Seymour" - they do not. (3) Part III front wrap must have the words "With Illustrations By R. W. Buss - it does not. (4) Part I must have four plates by Seymour, signed and not re-etched by "Phiz" - it does. (5) Part II must have three plates by Seymour, signed - it does. (6) Part III must have two plates by Buss - it does. (7) Part IV has the two plates indistinctly signed "Nemo" and not "Phiz." - it does. (8) Parts II, III, X and XV must have the addresses by the author - they do. (9) Parts XVII, XVIII and XIX/XX must have addresses by the publisher - they do. (10) Plates in parts I to XII must have no captions, but do have page numbers (the earliest state of part XII plates have no page numbers); plates in parts XIII through XIX/XX must have neither captions, nor page numbers - they all conform. (11) In part XIX/XX, the signboard on the vignette title page must read "Tony Veller" and the signature "Phiz Fecit" must surround the tablet at the bottom of frontispiece - they do. So the only points lacking here are the illustrator's names on the front wraps of parts I, II and III; but for these, the present copy would be a Prime Copy. Plates in part XVI are browned at edges; all other plates are very good to fine. Subscriber name on front wrap of parts XI, XIII and XVII. Note: All front wraps have the date 1836 (MDCCCXXXVI). The word "early" herein, means "not first issue." A part by part description follows: Part I. Front wrapper is early issue, without illustration credit to Seymour. Rear wrapper is early. Lacks the front slip. Signature "E" is on page 25 and pagination on page 26. Text is early. Plate (1) is first Seymour plate, second state; plate (2) is second state of first Seymour plate; plate (3) is first state of second plateSeymour; plate (4) is first state of second Seymour plate. Part II. Front wrapper is early, without illustration credit to Seymour; rear wrap is early; text is early; plates are 1st plate, 1st state; first issue Address is present; this part is COMPLETE, but with early wrappers. Part III. Wraps are early, with ads on the inside; with the suppressed Buss plates; text is early; lacking the and front and rear ads. The Address is present. Part IV. Wraps are mixed, plates are 1st plate, 2nd state; text is early; lacking Advertiser (4 pp.). Part V. Wraps are early, plates are 1st plate, 1st state; text is mixed, lacking Advertiser (4 pp.) and rear ads. Part VI. Wraps are early, plates are 1st plate, 2nd state; text is early, lacking Advertiser (8 pp.). Part VII. Wraps are early, insides are blank; plates are 1st plate, 2nd state; text is early; lacking Advertiser (8 pp.) and rear slip "Phrenology." Part VIII. Wraps are early, plates are 1st plate, 1st state, text is mixed issue; lacking Advertiser (8 pp.) and rear ad "Henekey & Co." Part IX. Wraps are first issue, plates are 1st plate, 1st issue, text is first, but with X2 on page 261; lacking Advertiser (12 pp.) and all rear ads. Part X. Wrappers are first state; plates are 2nd plate, first state; text is mixed issue; the Address is present; with the Advertiser (16 pp.) and rear ads; this part is COMPLETE. Part XI. Wraps are first issue; plates are first plate (first issue); text is mixed; with the 8 page Advertiser, this part is COMPLETE. Subscriber name on front wrap. Part XII. Wraps are correct, first issue; plates are 1st plate, 1st state; text is first issue; with the Advertiser (8 pp.) and the Mechi slip - this part is COMPLETE. Part XIII. Wraps are first issue, plates are 1st plate (first state), text is first issue; with the Advertiser (16 pp.) and the rear ads. This part lacks only the rare "Pigot's Colored Views" ad, of which only 6 are known. Subscriber name on front wrapper. Part XIV. Wraps are correct, or first issue, plates are first plate (first issue), text is mixed, with the Advertiser and rear ad; this part is COMPLETE. Part XV. Wraps are correct, or first issue, plates are first plate (first issue), all ads are present, including the Address; text is first issue; this part is COMPLETE. Part XVI. Wraps are correct, or first issue, plates plates are first issue (Thomas Hatton has ANNOTATED the verso of the plates in part XVI thus: [plate 34] "1st issue / legs of chair turned" and [plate 35] "1st issue / Cockade in Sam's hat / and balustrade"); this part is COMPLETE. Part XVII. Wraps are correct, or first issue, plates ar first plate (first state); with the Address, with the Advertiser and rear ads; text is first issue this part is COMPLETE, Subscriber name on front wrapper. Part XVIII. Wraps are correct, or first issue, plates (#38 and 39) are 1st plate, first state; text is 1st issue; with the Advertiser, rear ads and Address; this part is COMPLETE. Part XIX/XX. Wraps are correct, or first issue; plate 40 is second plate, plate, plate 41 is first plate, vignette title and frontis are first plates (first state). The text has no issue points; the Address is present, and all ads are present, this part is COMPLETE. Spines expertly renewed on most parts. Light soiling to some wrappers. Armorial bookplate. Housed in a green cloth slipcase, with chemise. Provenance: the (Thomas) Hatton and Cleaver collection; the Heritage Bookshop; Charles Parkhurst Rare Books, Inc.