THE ESTEEMED NONESUCH DICKENS, WITH ILLUSTRATIONS FROM THE ORIGINAL ENGRAVINGS, AND WITH AN ORIGINAL ENGRAVED STEEL PLATE USED TO ILLUSTRATE THE FIRST EDITION OF THE CHIMES

DICKENS, Charles. The Works [Nonesuch Dickens]. Bloomsbury: Nonesuch Press, 1937-38. Twenty-five volumes (including wood-engraved plate in clamshell box uniform with 23 text volumes). Tall octavo, original full colored cloth, original black morocco spine labels. $8000.

The famed Nonesuch Dickens, one of the best and most sought-after editions of Dickens’ works, one of only 877 sets produced, with hundreds of illustrations reprinted from the original wood- or steel-engraved blocks by various artists including Cruikshank, Phiz, Graves, Stone and Tenniel. This set with an original engraved steel plate for the frontispiece “The Tower of the Chimes” from The Chimes, drawn by Daniel Maclise, as well as an accompanying proof print and authentication letter, housed in clamshell box uniform with the 23 text volumes and the accompanying volume, Nonesuch Dickensiana.

Dickens "in his own realm has always been unrivalled… His sleepless imagination exaggerated the comic side of everything, and developed the suggestions of reality into humorous idealisms far transcending the proportions of ordinary life" (Baker). The Nonesuch Dickens is regarded as the definitive collected edition. In addition to the novels, the set includes two volumes of Collected Papers (miscellaneous articles and prefaces), three volumes of Letters, and a volume of Reprinted Pieces (The Uncommercial Traveller and eight stories from the Illustrated Library Edition of 1875). The publishers produced 877 sets because this was the number of original steel plates and wood blocks available to include one with each set. The plate comes with a print made from it and a typed letter of authenticity signed by Arthur Waugh. Some illustrations from lost or destroyed blocks have been replaced with images printed from blocks reproduced photographically from first edition plates; some of the plates from the "Christmas Books" are printed in color, as they were originally issued. Bound as issued in variously colored cloth bindings designed by Leighton-Straker. With the accompanying volume, Nonesuch Dickensiana, which includes the article "Charles Dickens and His Illustrators" by Arthur Waugh, "A Bibliographical List of the Original Illustrations to the Works of Charles Dickens Being Those Made Under His Supervision" by Thomas Hatton, a Retrospectus of Dickens' works and a Prospectus for the Nonesuch Dickens. Blank front free endpaper in Bleak House excised. Owner signatures in Nonesuch Dickensiana only.

Interiors fine, mild toning, occasional faint soiling to spines of original cloth. Near-fine condition.