The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club

London: Chapman and Hall, 1837 . First edition. Leather. Very Good. 9" by 6". Phiz [Hablot Knight Browne]; Robert Seymour. The first edition in book form of Charles Dickens' immensely popular first novel. With many first issue points present, and illustrated throughout. The first edition in book form of Charles Dickens' first novel, initially published serially over the course of twenty months. Here in a half morocco signed binding from Carss & Co, Glasgow.Illustrated with a frontispiece, engraved title page and forty-one plates from Phiz - who is known for illustrating many of Dickens' works - and Robert Seymour, who died whilst illustrating the work. Collated, complete.A mixed early issue of the first edition in book form, as is common with this work. With a number of first issue points: 'Veller' to the sign on the engraved title page; five lines of footnotes to page 9; with mark between 'r' and 'u' in 'rum' in the last line of page 10; with the signature 'E' present to the tail of pages 25 and 27; without the parenthesis in lines 14 and 15 from the bottom of page 34; with the quotation mark indistinct before 'Sir' in the ninth line of page 244; page 261 correctly signed 'X2'; with the second '3' in the page number present to page 303; line 1 of page 341 reading 'inbe-licate' rather than 'inde-licate'; line 5 of page 341 reading 'inscriptino' rather than 'inscription'; 'Picwkick' to the running title of page 375. Majority of plates in first state, with page numbers rather than titles, and without the publisher's imprint. Second issue points present include: the last 'e' of page 17 unbroken; ; line 29 of page 260 reading 'holding'; "S. Veller" at p. 342; 'his friends' on page 400, line 21, and a complete 'F' in the word 'OF' in the headline on page 432.Without the two suppressed Buss plates, featuring instead the Phiz replacement plates. Retaining original half title. The first edition in book form of this publishing phenomenon from Charles Dickens, his first novel credited with defining a new genre. It popularised both the serial format, and stylistic feature of the cliff hanger. In a signed half morocco binding, with cloth covered boards. Rubbing to joints and board perimeters, with light marks to boards. Front hinge starting, with board holding firm. Binder's label to front free endpaper. Internally, firmly bound. Significant spotting to frontispiece and engraved title page, with further spotting to plates and pages surrounding them. Very Good