AUTHOR OF THE FIRST DETECTIVE NOVELS: EXTRAORDINARY COLLECTION OF FIRST EDITIONS OF WILKIE COLLINS’ WORKS, 84 BEAUTIFULLY AND UNIFORMLY BOUND VOLUMES, INCLUDING FIRST EDITIONS OF THE WOMAN IN WHITE AND THE MOONSTONE

COLLINS, Wilkie. Collection of uniformly bound first editions. London: various publishers, 1848-1890. Eighty-four volumes. Octavo, late 19th century full blue calf, elaborately gilt-decorated spines, red morocco spine labels, marbled endpapers, top edges gilt. $0.

First editions in book form of 37 of Collins’ works, many with lovely engraved frontispieces, including important first editions of The Woman in White and The Moonstone, beautifully and uniformly bound by Riviere and Son. Including his first published book, all 23 novels published during his lifetime, his short story collections, essays, plays, etc. Including virtually every Collins first edition save one minor work of short stories.

"Collins is considered by some to have been the first English author of bona fide detective and mystery novels" (Benet, 201) and set the template for that genre, which has lasted for at least a century. This set includes Collins' first published book (a biography of his father published just after his death), all 23 of the novels Collins published during his lifetime (as well as a posthumously published one), his short story collections, essays, and five plays, including the rare dramatization of The Moonstone, privately published for Collins by his good friend Charles Dickens. Collins had "one of the longest and most distinctive literary careers of the nineteenth century… In the course of nearly half a century's writing [he] tried many new ways of reaching and expanding his audience. Dickensian Christmas books, short stories, three-decker novels, magazine and newspaper serializations flowed from his pen with a productivity unchecked" (Bowen 4-5). Sadleir, 142. CBEL III:480-482.

Calf-gilt lovely, with several spine labels professionally restored or replaced. An extraordinary collection of Collins' first editions, in about-fine condition.