Barnaby Rudge -and- Hard Times (Edition de Luxe of the Works of Charles Dickens, Number 131 of one thousand copies) by DICKENS, Charles - 1881

London: Chapman and Hall. Very Good-. 1881. Leather. A deluxe, illustrated Chapman and Hall four-volume set offering a two novels by Charles Dickens (1812-1870). The first, "Barnaby Rudge", is a historical novel, set in 1775 and concerned with a mysterious murder. His shorter "Hard Times" is the second. Lavishly illustrated by Hablot K.Browne (Phiz) and George Cattermole. Numbers 5 through 8 of a 30-volume limited Edition de Luxe of the Works of Charles Dickens. Number 131 of one thousand copies. --- In full brown leather with gilt fillets, decorations and titling to covers and spine, two raised bands to spines, gilt dentelles to cover inside edges and all edges bright gilt. Lovely marbled endpapers in shades of green, blue, tan and cream. The bindings are reinforced, with what appears to be leather at the gutters. --- A very handsome set of books, however with partially detached front covers to volumes 7 & 8 (but the reinforcing helps hold them to the textblock); leather has some chafing at extremities. With prior owner's bookplate affixed to front paste-downs, which is labeled "The Library at Carolands" which is likely the onetime estate of Harriet Pullman Carolan, south of San Francisco. (NOTE: Due to the weight of this item, extra shipping charges may be requested for any shipment other than by USPS Media Mail in the US.); Small Quarto - 9 to 11 in. tall; xix, 556, xvi, 520 pages .