Vanity Fair. A Novel without a Hero… With illustrations on steel and wood by the author. by THACKERAY, William Makepeace - 1848

London: Bradbury and Evans, 1848. 1848 [i.e. January 1847 - July 1848]. First edition, first issue in the original twenty monthly numbers bound in nineteen parts. With the following first issue points: With the rare suppressed "Marquis of Steyne" woodcut on page 336; First issue of page 453 with "Mr. Pitt" instead of "Sir Pitt"; With the advertisement for The Great Hoggarty Diamond (pp. [i-ii]) preceding the frontispiece. Page one of Part I with the heading in Rustic type. Octavo (8 7/8 x 5 3/4 inches; 225 x 145 mm.). [xvi, 624 pp]. Forty engraved plates including frontispiece and title. One hundred and fifty woodcut illustrations in the text, after the author. A few plates with a little edge browning but overall a very clean set. Uncut in the original printed yellow wrappers (some wrappers replaced). The front wrappers of parts I through III with expert marginal repairs not affecting print; Front wrapper of part VI with expert repair to lower corner just touching print margin; A few other expert restorations to spines and edges of original wrappers. Overall an excellent and textually complete, first issue set of this legendary rarity in the original monthly parts - but sadly lacking the majority of the advertisements. Chemised in a full maroon morocco solander case by Rivière & Son (ca. 1920), spine with five raised bands lettered in gilt in compartments.Rear wrappers of part II through XVIII expertly replaced with matching period paper. Front wrappers of parts I through VIII correct. Front wrappers of parts IX-through XVIII possibly supplied from other parts and with no advertisements on the inside of the wrappers. Front wrappers of parts XIX/XX correct. Rear wrapper of parts XIX/XX supplied from a rear wrapper of part IV. Missing the additional advertisements in parts III (4 pp.), part V (4 pp.), part VI (2 pp.), part X (4 pp.), part XII (1 p.), part XIII (8 pp.), part XV (2 pp.), part XVI (4 pp.), part XVII (4 pp.), Part XVIII (8 pp.). Van Duzer. 230 . 1st Edition. Very Good. 8vo.