A WEEK'S TRAMP IN DICKENS-LAND, 1891, IN A STRIKING KELLIEGRAM PICTORIAL BINDING

{DICKENS, Charles) HUGHES, William R. A Week's Tramp in Dickens-Land Together with Personal Reminiscences of the 'Inimitable Boz' Therein Collected. London: Chapman & Hall, 1891. Octavo, contemporary full dark green morocco, elaborately gilt-decorated spine, pictorial boards with elaborate floral gilt borders and inlaid images in red, blue, gray, olive and tan morocco onlays, silk endpapers, all edges gilt; housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. $3500.

First edition, abundantly illustrated, of this tour of England through the lens of Dickens' life and work, in a striking pictorial "Kelliegram" binding with the front cover depicting Dickens on the porch of his Gad's Hill estate.

The firm of Kelly and Sons has a long history in the London book trade, being founded in 1770 by bookbinder John Kellie. In the 19th century they became known for elaborate pictorial bindings such as the one here, using onlaid morocco and liberal amounts of gilt to produce sumptuous bindings. The image on the front of this volume, showing Dickens on the porch of his Gad's Hill Place estate, can be seen on page 183. With the Kelliegram stamp on the rear dentelle.

A bit of light foxing to interior. Beautifully bound.