The Christmas Books: Cosway Bindings - photo 1
The Christmas Books: Cosway Bindings - photo 2
The Christmas Books: Cosway Bindings - photo 3

The Christmas Books: Cosway Bindings

Lot 166
06.10.2022 12:00UTC -05:00
Classic
Sold
$ 41 580
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUSA, New York
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 813684
Lot 166 | The Christmas Books: Cosway Bindings
Estimate value
$ 40 000 – 60 000
The Christmas Books: Cosway Bindings

Charles Dickens, 1843-1848

DICKENS, Charles (1812-1870). The Christmas Books. London: Chapman and Hall or Bradbury and Evans, 1843-1848.



Spectacular first edition set of Dickens’s Christmas Books, uniformly bound in morocco extra with fine portrait miniatures by C.B. Currie and including original letters.



A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas. Chapman and Hall, 1843. First issue, second state, title page printed in red and blue with wood-engraved holly vignette, half-title printed in blue, "Stave I" reading and uncorrected text. Hand-colored etched frontispiece and 3 hand-colored etched plates after and by John Leech, 4 wood-engraved text illustrations after Leech, integral final leaf of publisher's advertisements. Original coated green free endpapers bound in. With: DICKENS, Charles. Autograph letter signed (“Charles Dickens”), 3 August 1842, to Messrs Curry and Co., two pages, rectos only (folded and bound in, some short splitting at folds), discussing the newspaper piracy of Dickens’s work by “wholesale robbers.” Smith II:4.



The Chimes: A Goblin Story of Some Bells that Rang an Old Year Out and a New Year In. Chapman and Hall, 1845 [but 1844]. Second state of the title page. Frontispiece and additional pictorial wood-engraved title page after Daniel Maclise by F. P. Becker, 11 wood-engraved text vignettes after Leech, Richard Doyle and Clarkson Stanfield, integral preliminary advertisement leaf. Original cloth bound in. With: DOYLE, Richard. Autograph letter signed (“Richard Doyle”), 21 September, n.y., to Mr. Sterling, one page (folded and bound in). Smith II:5.



The Cricket on the Hearth. A Fairy Tale of Home. Printed and published for the author by Bradbury and Evans, 1846 [but 1845]. Second state of advertisement leaf, as usual. Frontispiece and additional wood-engraved title page after Maclise, 12 wood-engraved text vignettes after Leech, Doyle et al, integral final advertisement leaf. Original cloth bound in. With: LEECH, John. Autograph letter signed (“John Leech”), 17 July 1846, two pages, recto and verso (folded and bound in, some short splitting at folds). Smith II:6.



The Battle of Life. A Love Story. Bradbury and Evans, 1846. Fourth issue of the engraved title, as usual. Additional pictorial wood-engraved title page and frontispiece after Maclise, 11 wood-engraved text vignettes after Leech, Doyle and Maclise, final advertisement leaf. With: MACLISE, Daniel. Autograph letter signed (“Danl. Maclise”), n.d., one page (folded and bound in). Smith II:8.



The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain. A Fancy for Christmas-Time. London: Bradbury and Evans, 1848. First edition. Additional pictorial wood-engraved title page and frontispiece after John Tenniel by Martin and Corbould, 15 wood-engraved text vignettes after Tenniel, Clarkson Stanfield, integral preliminary advertisement leaf for "Works by Mr. Dickens," publisher's red cloth preserved at the rear. With: TENNIEL, John. Autograph letter signed (“John Tenniel”), 15 July 1896, to F.G. Kelton, two pages, approving the publication of a letter he wrote about the present work. Smith II:9.



Five volumes. Full uniform dark green levant morocco by Riviere after the designs of J.H. Stonehouse, the title of the volume in gilt on an inlaid dark red morocco banner at the head of the upper covers, and "Lord Keep my Memory Green" in a similar banner at the feet, each volume with a glazed oval inset portrait miniatures on ivory by C.B. Currie depicting Charles Dickens at various ages (a few tiny spots to first two), in a gilt wreath of holly leaves crowned by mistletoe, spines gilt in compartments with holly leaf and mistletoe motifs, gilt turn-ins with mistletoe corner-pieces, stamp-signed by Miss Currie, moiré silk endleaves, all edges gilt. Each with original gilt-lettered cloth preserved and bound in. Provenance: Doyle Auctions, 23 November 2015, lot 124.





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Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory and tortoiseshell. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country.
This lot contains ivory material and is offered pursuant to a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation license, a copy of which will be provided to the buyer. Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory and tortoiseshell. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country.

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