Search Results: Authors starting with D from Sumner & Stillman

1893. London: Elkin Mathews & John Lane, 1893. 2 pp undated ads. Original dark blue cloth. First Edition, which according to the limitation page consisted of only 300 copies (though the book does not seem as scarce as that). The title comes from Davidson's membership in the Rhymers' Club (Yeats et al.), which met regularly at the Cheshire Cheese public-house on Fleet Street. This copy, complete with the errata slip, is in fine condition except for almost-imperceptible cover soil. Nelson 50; Krshnmrti 174.

1842. in Boston, February 1, 1842. Reported by Thomas Gill and William English. Most of the Speeches revised by their Authors. Boston: William Crosby and Company, 1842. Original printed wrappers. First Edition. This is the report (written up by two reporters from the Boston Morning Post) on the dinner given in honor of Dickens in Boston, during his tour of America that formed the basis for his book AMERICAN NOTES. Included is Dickens's own speech on the International Copyright situation (pp 10-15), as well as the speeches of others assembled (such as James Russell Lowell, Oliver Wendell Holmes and Richard Henry Dana Sr., and by proxy William Ellery Channing and Washington Irving). This copy is still in its original delicate wrappers, in close-to-fine condition (a crease in the rear wrapper, very light soil, but scarcely any wear) -- quite remarkable condition for such a fragile piece 180+ years old. Podeschi (Yale) B112. Provenance: in the upper margin of the front wrapper is the inked inscription… Read More

1855. at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, Wednesday, June 27, 1855. London: Effingham Wilson, 1855. Original printed self-wrappers. First Edition of this speech Dickens gave to the Administrative Reform Association. Dickens was a founding member of this organization that lambasted the government for its indifference to the plight of the common man... [Dickens] was unable to be present when [Austen Henry] Layard addressed a meeting at Drury Lane on June 20th, but he was entirely in accord with what Layard said. The evidence of government blue books, Layard charged, revealed "records of inefficiency, records of indifference to suffering, records of ignorance, records of obstinacy," that were a shame to the nation. The Civil Service was grossly overstaffed with men busy making work for each other. Lord Palmerston, personally, he denounced for an attitude of levity toward the sufferings of the people. Stung by the attack, Lord Palmerston retorted with a sneer about "the private theatricals at Drury Lane."… Read More

1845. New York: published respectively by H.G. Daggers, 1845 | Harper & Brothers, n.d. | D. Appleton and Company, 1868 | Hurst & Co., [1889]. The first is in later grey wrappers; the second is without wrappers; the final two are in the original printed wrappers. Generally very good condition. Housed in four simple hard-board folders.

1860. An Extra Double Number of of All The Year Round. [New York: J. M. Emerson & Co., 1860.] Original self-wrappers, bound in at the rear of the February 1861 monthly issue, which has its own pale-yellow printed wrappers. First American Edition, "published simultaneously in London and New York " (according to the front wrapper) -- of the second of the nine extra Christmas numbers of All The Year Round. Dickens actually wrote only the first, second and fifth chapters of A MESSAGE FROM THE SEA, the remainder having been written by his son-in-law's brother, Wilkie Collins. This was the second of the nine extra Christmas number of All The Year Round, of which Dickens was the editor. This is the only one of the nine annual numbers to be illustrated -- having on page 5 a woodcut of the actual "message from the sea." This example has the 48-page Extra Christmas Number bound in at the rear of the February 1861 monthly issue (which includes the weekly issues of January). Included in those weekly issues are… Read More

1842. Boz' Works -- No. 21. Philadelphia: Lea and Blanchard, 1842. Original self-wrapper (serving as title page); lacking the rear wrapper. Fourth American Edition (just two days after the first!) -- second issue. As first put forth in a 1975 article by Peter Bracher and soon to be confirmed in Walter Smith's upcoming bibliography, this edition was published on November 9th, 1842 (two days after Winchester's "New World" edition and Wilson's "Brother Jonathan" edition -- and one day after Harper's edition). Dickens was so upset by the lack of an international copyright law, he forewent any negotiations with American publishers -- which is why none of these publishers had advance sheets, and all simply had to wait in the harbor for the first boat to arrive with copies of the UK edition (published October 19th), and then rush to press. This Lea and Blanchard edition has 103 pages of double-column text -- actually 107 pages, because inserted between pages 88 and 89 are the two leaves containing pages… Read More

1838. Embellished with a Portrait. New York: William H. Colyer, 1838. Original blue-grey paper-covered boards with rose-colored cloth spine with printed label. First American Edition (? -- there was also a two-volume 1838 edition by Carey Lea & Blanchard of Philadelphia, precedence unknown). Dickens worked on this piece after OLIVER TWIST and before NICHOLAS NICKLEBY -- during the time leading up to his break with the publisher Bentley. There has been considerable controversy regarding just how much Dickens contributed to this book. We quote from Johnson's biography: Bentley had acquired a life of the famous clown Grimaldi, long­windedly and clumsily arranged by Thomas Egerton Wilks from autobiographical notes. He [Bentley] proposed that Dickens revise it. Dickens stipulated that his name should appear only as editor, not as author, and demanded a minimum of 300 pounds and a half share of the profits after deduction of expenses, to which Bentley agreed. Dickens did no original writing, except for… Read More

1850. This is a complete set Dickens's annual "Extra Christmas Numbers" -- all nine of HOUSEHOLD WORDS, followed by all nine of ALL THE YEAR ROUND. London: Dec. 1850 - Dec. 1858 and Dec. 1859 - Dec. 1867. Original self-wrappers (first 13 numbers) and original blue printed wrappers (last five numbers) -- as issued. First Editions of all eighteen pieces. Dickens was the editor (or "conductor") of both of these periodicals -- one rising out of the ashes of the other -- but he also wrote at least part of the Christmas story in each of these eighteen numbers. The stories in HOUSEHOLD WORDS are: 1850 ("A Christmas Tree" is by CD) 1851 ("What Christmas is, as we Grow Older" is by CD) 1852 A ROUND OF STORIES ("The Poor Relation's Story" and "The Child's Story" are by CD) 1853 ANOTHER ROUND OF STORIES ("The Schoolboy's Story" and "Nobody's Story" are by CD) 1854 THE SEVEN POOR TRAVELLERS ("The First Poor Traveller" and "The Road" are by CD) 1855 THE HOLLY-TREE INN ("The Guest," "The Boots" and "The Bill" are… Read More

1870. With Illustrations. Boston: Fields, Osgood, & Co., 1870. Original green cloth. First American Edition, second and usual issue with added material -- of the tale left unfinished at the time of Dickens's death in June 1870. The scarce earlier issue, withOUT the "Uncollected Pieces," was bound only in wrappers; furthermore, the subsequent additions are just that -- the text of DROOD is exactly the same in both issues. This has led some bibliographers to speculate that the two issues may be from the same printing, with only a change in the title page: Smith, noting that he could not find a publication date for the first issue, says "Perhaps such copies represent a prepublication state rather than an issue and were published simultaneously with copies which had the uncollected pieces...". The "Uncollected Pieces" consist of James T. Fields's introductory "Some Memories of Charles Dickens," plus Dickens's "George Silverman's Explanation," "Holiday Romance," "Sketches of Young Couples," and "New… Read More

1859. London: Office of All The Year Round / Chapman & Hall, 1859-1867. [In nine volumes.] Original self-wrappers (first four) and blue printed wrappers (last five) -- as issued. First Editions of all nine "Extra Christmas Numbers" of this periodical that Charles Dickens founded, and edited for its nine years of existence. (Previously he had likewise founded Household Words, which likewise lasted nine years -- and which has nine Extra Christmas Numbers as well.) In addition to editing these tales, Dickens also wrote a portion of them -- specifically (per Eckel): Christmas 1859: THE HAUNTED HOUSE. Dickens wrote "The Mortals in the House," "The Ghost in Master B's Room," and "The Ghost in the Corner Room," as well as most of the other opening paragraphs. Christmas 1860: A MESSAGE FROM THE SEA. Dickens wrote Chapters I, II and V, plus passages in the others; the rest is by Wilkie Collins. Christmas 1861: TOM TIDDLER'S GROUND. Dickens wrote Chapters I, VI and VII. Christmas 1862: SOMEBODY'S LUGGAGE.… Read More

1846. London: Bradbury & Evans, 1846. 2 pp undated ads. Original red cloth pictorially decorated in gilt, all page edges gilt. First Edition of the fourth of Dickens's five illustrated Christmas books -- following A CHRISTMAS CAROL, THE CHIMES, and THE CRICKET ON THE HEARTH, and preceding THE HAUNTED MAN. This is an unusual tale in which two sisters love the same man, both ultimately settling in with him (though only one is married to him) -- according to Thackeray "a wretched affair." It is in fact quite autobiographical: Dickens loved Mary Hogarth, married her sister Catherine, and then was happy to have his household run by their sister Georgina. This copy has the vignette title page in the fourth and usual state (Todd's state E1), with an angel holding the banner and with no publisher's imprint; in our experience, at least 90% and perhaps 95% of the copies encountered are of this state. This is a bright, near-fine copy, with very little wear; atypically, the original delicate endpapers are not… Read More

1859. London: Office of All The Year Round / Chapman & Hall, 1859-1867. [In nine volumes.] Original self-wrappers (first four) and blue printed wrappers (last five) -- as issued. First Editions of all nine "Extra Christmas Numbers" of this periodical that Charles Dickens founded, and edited for its nine years of existence. (Previously he had likewise founded Household Words, which likewise lasted nine years -- and which has nine Extra Christmas Numbers as well.) In addition to editing these tales, Dickens also wrote a portion of them -- specifically (per Eckel): Christmas 1859: THE HAUNTED HOUSE. Dickens wrote "The Mortals in the House," "The Ghost in Master B's Room," and "The Ghost in the Corner Room," as well as most of the other opening paragraphs. Christmas 1860: A MESSAGE FROM THE SEA. Dickens wrote Chapters I, II and V, plus passages in the others; the rest is by Wilkie Collins. Christmas 1861: TOM TIDDLER'S GROUND. Dickens wrote Chapters I, VI and VII. Christmas 1862: SOMEBODY'S LUGGAGE.… Read More

1846. Browne, Hablot K.. [a handsome set] Wholesale, Retail, and for Exportation. With Illustrations by H.K. Browne. [In 20-in-19 monthly serial parts.] London: Bradbury & Evans, 1846-1848. Original light blue-green pictorial wrappers. First Edition, as issued in 20-in-19 monthly serial parts beginning in October 1846 and ending in April 1848. The serialization of this novel began upon the end of serialization of OLIVER TWIST (the scarcest of all "Dickens in parts," occurring eight years after its publication in book form); until OLIVER TWIST these monthly parts of Dickens's works were issued by Chapman & Hall, but were now being issued by Bradbury & Evans. Part XVIII of DOMBEY AND SON includes the first so-called "dark plate" (appropriately, "On the dark Road") to appear in a Dickens work -- possible due to a new process; there would be another in DAVID COPPERFIELD, followed by ten in BLEAK HOUSE and eight in LITTLE DORRIT. At the end of serialization, DOMBEY AND SON was published in book form --… Read More

1870. With Illustrations. Boston: Fields, Osgood, & Co., 1870. Original green cloth. First American Edition, second issue with added material -- of the tale left unfinished at the time of Dickens's death in June 1870. In addition to DROOD, this second issue adds James T. Fields's introductory "Some Memories of Charles Dickens," plus Dickens's "George Silverman's Explanation," "Holiday Romance," "Sketches of Young Couples," "New Uncommercial Samples" plus "The Will of Charles Dickens." Since 1867, Ticknor & Fields (and then Fields Osgood) had been Dickens's authorized publisher in America; they had serialized DROOD in their weekly Every Saturday, and then published this book in early September. (Ticknor & Fields had specifically commissioned Dickens to write "Holiday Romance," so that it could appear in their children's periodical Our Young Folks in 1868.) Harper also serialized DROOD in a monthly Dickens supplement to Harper's Weekly, but did not get their book edition out until late September. This… Read More

1935. Told for Children by Russell Thorndike. London & New York: Raphael Tuck & Sons, n.d.[1930s?]. Original color pictorial wrappers. Each of these is a pocket-sized abridgement, for children, of a Charles Dickens novel or character -- condensed into a booklet of just 16 leaves (the title page is on the inside rear cover, there are six full-page illustrations, and the final page 33 is on the inside rear cover -- so the text occupies only 27 pages). The front and rear cover have the same color illustration. A little light foxing, but all three are in fine condition. Housed together in a simple hard-board folder with typed label.

1854. Boston: Jenks, Hickling & Swan, 1854. Original blind-stamped dark brown cloth with gilt-decorated spines. Early American edition, just possibly the first complete one. Since Harper published the two volumes of its edition separately in March 1853 and in March 1854 (so dated on the title pages), it is considered to be the first American edition. The date in 1854 when these two Boston volumes were published is unknown, so it is possible that this two-volume Boston edition came out earlier in 1854 than Harper's second volume. Jenks Hickling & Swan was a very "fluid" enterprise at the time, such that their 1856 and 1857 two-volumes-in-one printings would be by Hickling Swan & Brown, and their 1861 two-in-one printing would be by Swan Brewer & Tileston. This set is in very good-plus condition (a few small holes in the cloth, mainly at extremities or at joints); the gilt on the spines is unusually bright. Smith pp 116-119; Carr (UTexas) B500 (in blue cloth); not cited by Podeschi. Provenance: both… Read More

1853. New York: Stringer & Townsend, 1853. Original greyish-pink printed wrappers. Early (first?) American edition of this the third of Dickens's nine "Extra Christmas Numbers" of his weekly periodical Household Words. This came out in London in December 1852, and then was published in America in early 1853 by several publishers (McElrath & Lord doing the authorized American issue of HhW, plus Harper, plus this effort). Dickens himself wrote only the first two stories -- "The Poor Relation's Story" and "The Child's Story." This copy includes the delicate original greyish-pink wrappers, and is in very good-plus condition (minor edge-wear, a few droplet-marks on some leaves within). Podeschi (Yale) B225.

1863. Charles Dickens's New Christmas Story. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1863. Original self-wrappers. First American Edition of the fifth of the nine Christmas numbers (1859-1867) of Dickens's periodical "All The Year Round." Dickens himself wrote only the first and last (seventh) chapters. The inside rear wrapper bears ads dated December 1863. This is a near-fine copy, with minor wear along the very fragile spine and a few faint marks; this American edition is much scarcer than its English counterpart. Podeschi (Yale) B283; see Eckel p. 196.

1877. Boston: James R. Osgood and Company, 1877. Original terra-cotta cloth decorated in black. First "Collectible" Edition of this play first performed in 1851. We say first "collectible" because there are only four known copies of the original 1851 pamphlet; supposedly a fifth, from which Osgood printed this edition, was destroyed in the Boston fire of 1879. This is a volume in the publisher's "Vest Pocket Series," so named for its diminutive size (a second Dickens "comic burletta" was published in this series the same year -- IS SHE HIS WIFE?). This copy is terra-cotta in color; others are green, without priority. It is a bright, near-fine copy (minor rubbing at the tips, one small mark on the fore-edge of the leaves) -- quite uncommon in this condition. Eckel pp 64-5.

1846. London: Bradbury & Evans, 1846. 2 pp undated ads. Original blind-stamped blue cloth. First Edition of Dickens's account of his 1844 tour of Italy. His description of the coaching trips which took him from place to place for five months is full of wonderful observations of his fellow-men... His account of a public execution in Rome is remarkable -- his emotional reaction is held firmly in control but revulsion at the whole proceeding is implicit in every line [CGEL] This copy is in the primary (fine-diaper cloth) binding; copies were also issued in ribbed cloth of the same color. This is a very good copy, with little wear but with some soil on the covers; the endpapers are old but not original. The front flyleaf bears the penciled signature of Walter E. Smith, bibliographer of Dickens. Smith II pp 44-58.