The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.

Philadelphia: Carey, Lea & Blanchard,, 1836-37. Original boards First US editions, first states. Parts 1 to 4 (appearing between 5 November 1836 and 20 September 1837) precede the first book edition in London, which was published by Chapman and Hall on 17 November 1837. The fifth part of the American edition appeared on 29 December. Part I is particularly scarce in first state, being issued in only 1,500 copies as the author was entirely unknown, and reissued as sales increased of the later parts. The edition was a piracy, part of a number of publications by American firms of British authors, taking advantage of the lack of international copyright agreements. Henry Charles Carey did offer the author £25 for the parts of Pickwick which they had already printed in June 1837, but Dickens declined on principle, instead only requesting a copy of the edition. Five volumes, duodecimo. Uncut in the original pink quarter cloth and boards, printed paper labels. Housed in custom red folding chemises within red cloth solander box. Incomplete: part III lacking pp. 105-108, part IV lacking pp. 201-204. Early pencil and ink ownership inscription to front endpapers, bookseller's label to part I. Hinges weak or cracked, boards slightly discoloured, spines faded and slightly chipped at head and foot, labels slightly rubbed and chipped with some loss of text, contents foxed, part II with flaw at fore-edge p. 101 and pp. 139-146 loose. A somewhat defective, but entirely unsophisticated copy, in the rare original boards which are overall in a very good state of preservation. Smith First American Editions 2; Gimbel A19.