The Famous Pickwick in Parts from the Library of Paul Francis Webster, Since Enhanced
Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club. With forty-three illustrations, by R. Seymour and Phiz [and R.W. Buss].
London: Chapman and Hall, 1837.
London: Chapman and Hall, 1836 [i.e., April 1836-November 1837].
[Full description available upon request]
First edition, in the original monthly parts, twenty numbers bound in nineteen parts. Octavo. [i-v]vi[vii]viii-ix[x-xi]xii-xiv[xv-xvi], [1]2-609[610]. Forty-three inserted engraved plates, including frontispiece and vignette title-page, with the original plates by Seymour and Buss. And all parts are dated 1836. Parts are generally very clean and in very good condition. Some occasional toning to plates. Some spines repairs to parts V, VI, VIII, X, XIV, XVI, XVII, XVIII and XIX/XX. Small repairs to edges of front wrapper of parts XII and XIV. Previous owner’s signatures to front wrapper of parts III, V, VII, IX, XI, XV and XVI. With additional typed notated sheets by Hatton included with the parts. All notes and parts housed in a quarter green morocco clamshell.
All front and back wrappers are first issue, inside and out, except back wrapper of Part 1, Part II, front wrapper of Part V.
All seven "Addresses" are present as called for, including the rare Seymour suicide address in Part II. There are two Part X present and included with the additional Part X including the first issue address without the "dash".
Text is true first issue in all parts besides parts I, II, VIII, and IX. In part IX, Text with pg 260 and pg 267 points in first issue, but pg 261 text is second issue with X2 not N2. The first issue is extremely rare and H&C claims "This point is an extremely rare one, and has not been previously recorded. Only twice has it come under the writer’s notice."
Of the forty-three plates most are in first state with the exception of part I, part VI and part IXX/XX. Present part I has included with it an additional set of plates as well. In this final part, the frontispiece and Vignette title are in first state, but the two other plates are second state. With Part VI, it has the the rare first state mispaginated plate number 14, "Mrs. Leo" numbered 169 rather than 154. But with the second state of plate 15, "Seminary" correctly numbered 169. According the Hatton and Cleaver, "These mispaginated plates may be considered the rarest items in the whole realm of Pickwick."
Part III contains the extremely rare first paid ad in Pickwick (and possibly first paid ad in a book), the "Toilet" ad, present in the preferred Hatton and Cleaver Variant No. 1. Part IV Has the very rare "Pickwick Advertiser" at front. Part V with Grattans ad similar to H&C but slightly different variant. Matches exactly the Bruton copy variant. Part X with the early rare "Lions of London," a definitive point of priority. And with Part XIII with rare "Pigot" ad slip which Hatton states only three copies known.
Full Parts Breakdown:
Part 1: Front wrapper is good Back wrapper is the H&C variant 4 (Same as wrapper for part 3)
Plates- 1?- Additional plate: First or second state of First Seymour. 2- First state, 2nd Seymour- Extra plate, maybe 2nd state first Seymour
3- 2nd State, 1st Seymour. Extra plate same. 4- 2nd State, 1st Seymour. Extra plate same. Missing all ads, bound with no ads at all Pg 25/26 with Signature E and both page numbers but incorrect headline, so 3rd issue. Text mostly not 1st issue points
Part 2: Front and back wrapper are H& C variant 5 (Same as part 4)
Plates- 1-1st 2- 1st 3- 1st Has the extremely rare "Address" on the death of Seymour (authentic example).
Text: No 1st issue points
Part 3: Front wrapper correct (the rarest of the series) with illustration credit to Buss. Back wrapper correct. Lacks front ad slip. But inserted instead is H&C's ad No. 1b "The Auto-Biography of an Oil Bottle" With all plates in first state. Has the "Address" (authentic example) With the extremely rare back ad, "The Toilet," the first paid ad in Pickwick, in the preferred Hatton and Cleaver Variant 1 (but without pagination on 2-4). Text in earliest state. Previous owner's signature on top of front wrapper.
Part 4: Wrappers all correct Has the very rare "Pickwick Advertiser" at front. All text 1st issue With all plates in first state, but no visual "NEMO" on "Breakdown" plate.
Part 5: Front wrapper is an unknown variant. Can't find exact version in H&C. Back wrapper correct Front ad correct Back ad- with Grattans ad similar to H&C but slightly different variant. Matches exactly the Bruton copy variant. Without the folded sheet advertiser for Rowland Kalydor, but the famous Bruton- Pattersen-Newton copy was also missing the folded sheet advertiser. First issue of both plates All first issue points for text Previous owner's sig on front wrapper
Part 6: Wrappers all correct No ads present Text in earliest state. With the rare first state mispaginated plate number 14, "Mrs. Leo" numbered 169 rather than 154. But with the second state of plate 15, "Seminary" correctly numbered 169. Plates are a bit toned.
Part 7: Wrappers all correct With front advertiser. Without very rare rear advertiser "Phrenology" Previous owner’s sig on front wrapper dated 1836 With both plates in first state, but "Phiz del" sig on first plate almost invisible
Text in earliest state
Part 8: Wrappers correct With front advertiser. With back advertiser. With all plates in first state Text seems to be state 2, neither imperfection in HC noted are there.
Part 9: Wrappers all correct With all ads correct With front advertiser With back Chapman & Hall advertiser. With Effingham slip laid in With Orr and Co. advertiser With Jennings's slip on yellow paper. With Pink Geo Henley slip. Both plates in first issue Previous owner's sig on front wrapper Text with pg 260 and pg 267 points in first issue, but pg 261 text is second issue with X2 not N2. The first issue is extremely rare and H&C claims "This point is an extremely rare one, and has not been previously recorded. Only twice has it come under the writer's notice."
Part 10: Wrappers correct With front advertiser, with early rare "Lions of London," a definitive point of priority With back ads all correct. First state of both plates With both issues of "Address." First copy with later issue of "Address" with dash, but additional part X included has the first issue of "Address" without dash.
Part 11: Wrappers all correct With front advertiser. With all plates in first state.
Part 12: Wrappers correct With front advertiser. With back "Mechi's" slip in red and green Plates in earliest state with no page numbers (Both first plates, first state).
Text in earliest state.
Part 13: Wrappers correct With rare "Pigot" ad slip With front advertiser With both back advertisers. The Argyll Room ad with J. Bradley with "y" spaced out (considered an alternative version). Both plates in first state Text in earliest state
Part 14: Wrappers all correct With front advertiser. With back advertiser. With all plates in first state.
Text in earliest state.
Part 15: Wrappers all correct With front advertiser. With all back ads. "Royal Behlah" on blue paper.
With both plates in first state. With "Address"
Part 16: Wrappers all correct Previous owner"s faint signature on front wrapper
Front advertiser missing pages 3-6 With both plates in first state
Part 17: Wrapper all correct With front advertiser. With all back ads ("Mansion House" in solid type version, no priority).
Both plates in first state With "Address."
Part 18: Wrapper all correct With front advertiser. With all back ads, "Simpson" ad is bound backwards, and is H&C 3rd variant.
Both plates in first state With "Address."
Part 19/20: Wrappers all correct With front advertiser, without the early "1388" misprint. With all back ads: "Tea" ad in back is second issue. "Simpson" ad is H&C first variant. "Eye" ad is one of two versions, this one with open letters. "Mechi's" ad laid in is in blue and green. Frontispiece and vignette title are First State but 2 other plates are second issue?
With "Address"
Gimbel A15. Hatton and Cleaver, pp. 3-88.
HBS 68684.
$45,000.
Price: $45,000.00
Item #68684