The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club - 20 Parts in 19 - A NEAR PRIME SET, HAVING 8 OF 11 POINTS REQUIRED AND ANNOTATED BY BIBLIOGRAPHER THOMAS HATTON by Dickens, Charles

London 1837 [ i.e., April 1836 - November 1837]: Chapman & Hall. First Edition. First edition in the original monthly parts, 20 parts in 19, original green printed wrappers, "With forty-three illustrations by Seymour and Phiz" (and Buss). A NEAR PRIME COPY, lacking just 3 of the 11 points required in Eckel's bibliography "The First Editions of the Writings of Charles Dickens (1932)." (Eckel enumerates 16 known Prime Copies, in his book; one other Prime Pickwick has come to market since then, making a total of 17 known Prime Copies. In 2014, Charles Parkhurst owned Prime Pickwick number 17, which was sold that year in a private sale). These 11 points are enumerated below. Octavo, [i-v]vi[vii]viii-ix[x-xi]xii-xiv[xv-xvi], [1]2-609[610]. This outstanding set has the supressed Buss plates in part III. Parts with first state (original) plates are II, III (Buss), V, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XIII, XIV, XV, XVII, XVIII, XIX/XX; the remaining plates are 2nd state. ALL plates are before letters, i.e., without captions. As called for in Hatton & Cleaver, plates in parts I through XII have page numbers; plates in parts XIII through XIX/XX have no page numbers (It should be noted that plates 26 and 27 in part XII are 1st issue and therefore have no page number, as explained in Hatton & Cleaver, p. 63 and in Miller & Strange, p. 45). All plates are very good to fine. Plates in part XIV are browned at edges. All front wrappers are dated MDCCCXXXVI (1836). Parts having correct, or first issue wrappers are: VI, VII, X, XI, XII, XIII, XIV, XV, XVI, XVII, XVIII and XIX/XX; part VIII wrappers are second issue, as usual (first issue wrappers for part VIII are the rarest things in all of Pickwick, re: Hatton & Cleaver) all others are "early" state wrappers ("early" here means "not first issue"). Spines are expertly renewed on most parts. Owner name or initials are in margin of front wrapper of parts VII and XIX/XX. The Addresses are present in parts X, XV, XVII, XVIII and XIX/XX. The Advertiser, not issued in the first three parts, is present and complete, in parts XI, XII, XIII, XIV, XV, XVI, XVII, XVIII and XIX/XX. Parts having the first issue text, and in accord with Miller & Strange, are parts VII, X, XI, XII, XIII, XIV, XV, XVI, XVII, XVIII and XIX/XX; parts having mixed issue text are V. Parts which are complete, or having all the ads and slips called for by Hatton & Cleaver are parts XI, XIV, XV, XVI, XVII, XVIII; parts XII, XIII and XIX/XX are lacking only one ad. Let us enumerate the 11 points required by Eckel for a Prime Pickwick: #1. All covers must bear the date 1836. #2. Parts I and II must carry the words (on the front wrapper), "With Four Illustrations By Seymour." #3. Part III, the words "With Illustrations by R. Buss" on the front wrapper. #4. Part I must have four plates by Seymour, signed and not re-etched by Phiz. #5. Part II must have 3 plates by Seymour, signed. #6. Part III must have the two plates signed "Drawn and etched by R. W. Buss," and the page numbers. #7. Part IV has the two plates indistinctly signed "Nemo" and not "Phiz." #8. Parts II, III, X and XV must have the addresses by the Author. #9. Parts XVII, XVIII and XIX/XX must have the Addresses by the publishers. #10. Plates in parts I to XII must have no captions, only references to the pages where they were inserted; parts XIII to XIX/XX must have neither titles nor numerical guides. #11. On the vignette title page the name "Weller" on the signboard over the door must appear with a "V" and the signature "Phiz fecit" must surround the tablet at the bottom of the frontispiece. The present Pickwick lacks only numbers 2, 3 and 8 above, i.e., the illustrators names on the front wraps of parts I, II and III, and the Addresses in parts II and III. Descriptions of each individual part follow: Part I. Wraps are early, plate (1) 1st state of 1st Seymour plate; plate (2) 2nd state of 1st Seymour plate; plate (3) 2nd state of 1st Seymour plate; plate (4) 1st state of 2nd Seymour plate, VG+, Text is early, front ad by Chapman & Hall is lacking. Part II. Wraps are early, with insides blank, plates are 1st issue, fine, text is early, Address is not present. Part III. Wraps early, with insides blank, with the Buss plates, Fine, text is early, lacking the Address, lacks the front and rear ad. Part IV. Wraps are early, plates are 1st plate, second state, fine, text is early, lacks the Advertiser. Part V. Wraps are early, plates are 1st issue, fine, text is mixed, lacks the Advertiser and 2 rear ads. Part VI. Wraps are correct, first issue, plates are 1st plate, 2nd state, VG, text is early, lacks the Advertiser. Part VII. Front and rear wraps are correct, first issue; plates are 1st issue, text is 1st issue, lacks the Advertiser and rear ad. Part VIII. Wraps are 2nd issue, plates are 1st plate, 1st state, VG, text is early, lacking the Advertiser and rear ad. Part IX. Front wrap is correct, rear wrap is early, plates are 1st plate, 1st state, VG, text is early, lacks the Advertiser and 2 rear ads. Part X. Wraps are correct, 1st issue, plates are 1st plate, 1st state, Fine, text is 1st issue, with the Address, lacking the Advertiser. Part XI. Wraps are 1st issue, plates are 1st plate, 1st state, VG, with the Advertiser, text is 1st issue, complete. Part XII. Wraps are correct 1st issue, plate (26) is 1st plate, 1st state, plate (27) is 1st plate, 2nd state, Fine, text is 1st issue, with the Advertiser, lacking the Mechi ad at rear. Part XIII. Wraps are correct, 1st issue, plates are 1st plate, 1st state, VG, text is 1st issue, with the Advertiser, lacking the rare ad "Pigot's Coloured Views." Part XIV. Wraps are correct, 1st issue, plates are 1st plate, 1st state, VG, text is 1st issue, with the Advertiser and rear ad, complete. Part XV. Wraps are correct, 1st issue, plates are 1st plate, 1st state, VG, text is 1st issue, with the Advertiser, with the Address and rear ads, complete. Part XVI. Wraps are correct, 1st issue, plate (34) is 1st plate, plate (35) is 2nd plate, VG, text is 1st issue, with the Advertiser, complete. Part XVII. Wraps are correct, 1st issue, plates are 1st plate, 1st state, fine, text is 1st issue, with all rear ads, with the Advertiser, with the Address, complete. Part XVIII. Wraps are correct, 1st issue, plates are 1st plate, fine, with the Advertiser, with the Address, with all rear ads, complete. Part XIX/XX. Wraps are correct, 1st issue, plates are first state, VG, text is 1st state, with the Advertiser, with the Address, with rear ads, lacking only the Mechi slip. ANNOTATED in pencil, BY DICKENS' BIBLIOGRAPHER, THOMAS HATTON as follows: Part III, note on p. 51, "Wants Buss Plates." (but Buss plates are present here). Part X, note on inside rear wrap "10 1st issue." Part XII, note on verso of plate #26, "1st issue / No newspaper on floor" and on verso of plate #27, "2nd issue / No hat on front bench." Part XIV, note on final leaf of rear ad, "93/20." Part XVII, note on plate #36, "at p. 504." Housed in a custom blue quarter-leather slipcase, with chemise, with armorial bookplate of Charles Parkhurst. Provenance: The Hatton & Cleaver collection, The Heritage Book Shop, Charles Parkhurst Rare Books, Inc.