18
Dickens, The Mystery of Edwin Drood Original Parts
1/5
Description
The Mystery Of Edwin Drood, By Charles Dickens, With Illustrations. London: Chapman & Hall, 193, Piccadilly, Advertisements to be sent to the Publishers, and Adams & Francis, 59, Fleet Street, E.C. [The right of Translation is reserved.] on the front cover, in the original green wrappers and in the original six monthly parts, house in a maroon slipcase, and based on Eckel and Hatton and Cleaver, this is a first edition, first issue set.
This was Dickens’ last novel. He began writing Edwin Drood in August, 1869 and toiled to get it done, and after he had finished six parts, he died on June 9, 1870, and it became one of the best unfinished mystery stories ever told.
The story is named after Edwin Drood, although the text largely focuses on his uncle John Jasper, an opium addict and choir master who is romantically interested in his nephew’s fiancee. In the story, Edwin disappears under mysterious circumstances, and due to Dickens’ premature death, the mystery is never resolved - readers never found out what happened to Edwin Drood after he disappeared.
The cover design and the vignette title page were done by Charles Collins, brother of the famous novelist Wilkie Collins; Charles Collins was also the son-in-law of Charles Dickens. Collins married Dickens’ daughter, Kate, but bowed out of doing more designs due to ill health. Dickens then turned to Luke Fildes to illustrate the monthly parts. Fildes produced twelve illustrations before Dickens died. The engraved portrait of Dickens in the last part was done by J.H.Baker, and along with the vignette title page, there are a total of fourteen engraved plates in the six monthly parts.
The first number came out April, 1870 and the last September, 1870, and each part was priced at one shilling, until Dickens died and the last part was sold for eighteen pence.
There are several points of issue - details - that make this a first edition, first issue. It has the all-important “eighteenpence” slip pasted over the original one shilling price on the front wrapper of No. VI; this is the earliest issue of Part VI - later states are printed with the corrected price - and it cannot be a first issue without this slip at the top of No. VI. The “Edwin Drood Advertiser” is present in each part. There are numerous uncut pages in each part - uncut pages are usually a sign of an early printing - and all the slips and ads in the six parts, including remnants of the Cork Hat ad at the rear of No. II, are present, as called for by Hatton and Cleaver. All the plates are present and very clean
in each part, as well.
Part VI also has a four-page ad for Willcox & Gibbs titled “A New World At Home For Busy People” rather than a four-page Willcox & Gibbs ad titled “Concerning Stitches”, and Hatton and Cleaver make it clear that either four-page ad is okay in the first issue - “The above two insets are seen alternatively in copies of this part, and in about equal proportions” - so either ad will be acceptable to make this a first edition, first issue set. (See Hatton and Cleaver, page 383. Hatton and Cleaver number the two ads 1A and 1 respectively.)
No. I has 36 pages of ads in the front, page 28 is missing part of the 8 in “28” (a printing error), there is a yellow two-page ad for Dr. De Jongh’s Light-Brown Cod Liver Oil, a four-page ad for the Scottish Widows’ Funds Life Assurance Society, four pages of ads for Cassell’s Books, eight pages of ads on yellow paper for Chapman & Hall’s books, and an uncut two-page colored ad for Henry Brett Distillers & Wine Merchants at the rear, and light soiling and wear on the front cover.
No. II has 20 pages of ads in the front, with an imperfect 2 on page 2 and an imperfect
6 on page 6 of the front ads, as well as uncut pages in the front, there are four pages
of ads for the Willcox & Gibbs Sewing Machine Co. after the text, and remnants of the Cork Hat ad sit between the last page of ads for the Willcox & Gibbs Sewing Machine Co. and the John Brogden ads on the inside of the green wrappers at the rear, with a thin chip at the bottom of the spine.
No. III has 20 pages of ads preceding the two plates in front, uncut pages in the text, a yellow two-page ad for Dr. De Jongh’s Light-Brown Cod Liver Oil, a yellow slip for All The Year Round, eight pages of ads for Chapman And Hall’s Recent Publications, four yellow pages of ads for Chapman & Co’s Entire Wheat Flour, and four pages of ads for Cassell’s Books, including a re-issue of the Dore Don Quixote illustration at the rear, with light wear at the bottom of the spine.
No. IV has 24 pages of ads preceding the two plates in front, uncut pages in the text, with four pages of ads for Willcox & Gibbs Sewing Machines, four pages of ads in blue for the Scottish Widows’ Funds Life Assurance Society, eight pages of ads for Chapman & Hall’s Recent Publications (including uncut pages), and a full leaf for Chapman Co’s Entire Wheat Flour at the rear.
No. V has 20 pages of ads in the front, the two regular plates followed by the text, which has numerous uncut pages, and a two-sided leaf for Land And Water followed by a four-page ad in yellow for Chapman Co’s Entire Wheat Flour at the rear, and page 152 has a one-inch horizontal tear in the margin, which does not affect the text.
No. VI has 18 pages of ads in the front, an engraved portrait of Charles Dickens followed by an engraving of a cathedral after the ads in front, with a tissue guard in between, followed by the two regular plates titled “Up The River” and “Sleeping It Off”, with a tissue guard in between these two plates, uncut pages of text, four uncut pages of Contents followed by an Illustrations page and two uncut pages for Dickens books, and an ad for Willcox & Gibbs Sewing Machines and four yellow pages of ads for Chapman & Co’s Entire Wheat Flour at the rear.
All the parts have tissue guards between the plates except No. II, there are some light tears or creases here and there, and the original wrappers and pages are completely unrestored - no repairs whatsoever.
The maroon slipcase measures 9 1/8 x 6 3/8 in. wide and has five raised bands, six compartments and gilt lettering on the spine, and the date in gilt at the heel of the spine; the gilt lion couchant (a lion laying down) with a star-like cross in one paw (a patoncy) and the initials “C.D.” appear in a gilt ring on the cover of the slipcase, and the wrappers are 8 Vo. and measure 8 7/8 x 5 11/16 in. wide., very light soiling and light wear on the covers, and light soiling and modest wear on the spines.
A scarce first edition, first issue set of Edwin Drood in the monthly parts, in a beautiful slipcase, with all the ads and points of issue called for by Eckel and Hatton and Cleaver.
See The First Editions Of Charles Dickens, Their Points and Values, John C. Eckel 1932 and A Bibliography of the Periodical Works of Charles Dickens: Bibliographical, Analytical & Statistical, by Thomas Hatton and Arthur Cleaver 1933, reprinted by Martino Publishing 1999.
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The Mystery Of Edwin Drood, By Charles Dickens, With Illustrations. London: Chapman & Hall, 193, Piccadilly, Advertisements to be sent to the Publishers, and Adams & Francis, 59, Fleet Street, E.C. [The right of Translation is reserved.] on the front cover, in the original green wrappers and in the original six monthly parts, house in a maroon slipcase, and based on Eckel and Hatton and Cleaver, this is a first edition, first issue set.
This was Dickens’ last novel. He began writing Edwin Drood in August, 1869 and toiled to get it done, and after he had finished six parts, he died on June 9, 1870, and it became one of the best unfinished mystery stories ever told.
The story is named after Edwin Drood, although the text largely focuses on his uncle John Jasper, an opium addict and choir master who is romantically interested in his nephew’s fiancee. In the story, Edwin disappears under mysterious circumstances, and due to Dickens’ premature death, the mystery is never resolved - readers never found out what happened to Edwin Drood after he disappeared.
The cover design and the vignette title page were done by Charles Collins, brother of the famous novelist Wilkie Collins; Charles Collins was also the son-in-law of Charles Dickens. Collins married Dickens’ daughter, Kate, but bowed out of doing more designs due to ill health. Dickens then turned to Luke Fildes to illustrate the monthly parts. Fildes produced twelve illustrations before Dickens died. The engraved portrait of Dickens in the last part was done by J.H.Baker, and along with the vignette title page, there are a total of fourteen engraved plates in the six monthly parts.
The first number came out April, 1870 and the last September, 1870, and each part was priced at one shilling, until Dickens died and the last part was sold for eighteen pence.
There are several points of issue - details - that make this a first edition, first issue. It has the all-important “eighteenpence” slip pasted over the original one shilling price on the front wrapper of No. VI; this is the earliest issue of Part VI - later states are printed with the corrected price - and it cannot be a first issue without this slip at the top of No. VI. The “Edwin Drood Advertiser” is present in each part. There are numerous uncut pages in each part - uncut pages are usually a sign of an early printing - and all the slips and ads in the six parts, including remnants of the Cork Hat ad at the rear of No. II, are present, as called for by Hatton and Cleaver. All the plates are present and very clean
in each part, as well.
Part VI also has a four-page ad for Willcox & Gibbs titled “A New World At Home For Busy People” rather than a four-page Willcox & Gibbs ad titled “Concerning Stitches”, and Hatton and Cleaver make it clear that either four-page ad is okay in the first issue - “The above two insets are seen alternatively in copies of this part, and in about equal proportions” - so either ad will be acceptable to make this a first edition, first issue set. (See Hatton and Cleaver, page 383. Hatton and Cleaver number the two ads 1A and 1 respectively.)
No. I has 36 pages of ads in the front, page 28 is missing part of the 8 in “28” (a printing error), there is a yellow two-page ad for Dr. De Jongh’s Light-Brown Cod Liver Oil, a four-page ad for the Scottish Widows’ Funds Life Assurance Society, four pages of ads for Cassell’s Books, eight pages of ads on yellow paper for Chapman & Hall’s books, and an uncut two-page colored ad for Henry Brett Distillers & Wine Merchants at the rear, and light soiling and wear on the front cover.
No. II has 20 pages of ads in the front, with an imperfect 2 on page 2 and an imperfect
6 on page 6 of the front ads, as well as uncut pages in the front, there are four pages
of ads for the Willcox & Gibbs Sewing Machine Co. after the text, and remnants of the Cork Hat ad sit between the last page of ads for the Willcox & Gibbs Sewing Machine Co. and the John Brogden ads on the inside of the green wrappers at the rear, with a thin chip at the bottom of the spine.
No. III has 20 pages of ads preceding the two plates in front, uncut pages in the text, a yellow two-page ad for Dr. De Jongh’s Light-Brown Cod Liver Oil, a yellow slip for All The Year Round, eight pages of ads for Chapman And Hall’s Recent Publications, four yellow pages of ads for Chapman & Co’s Entire Wheat Flour, and four pages of ads for Cassell’s Books, including a re-issue of the Dore Don Quixote illustration at the rear, with light wear at the bottom of the spine.
No. IV has 24 pages of ads preceding the two plates in front, uncut pages in the text, with four pages of ads for Willcox & Gibbs Sewing Machines, four pages of ads in blue for the Scottish Widows’ Funds Life Assurance Society, eight pages of ads for Chapman & Hall’s Recent Publications (including uncut pages), and a full leaf for Chapman Co’s Entire Wheat Flour at the rear.
No. V has 20 pages of ads in the front, the two regular plates followed by the text, which has numerous uncut pages, and a two-sided leaf for Land And Water followed by a four-page ad in yellow for Chapman Co’s Entire Wheat Flour at the rear, and page 152 has a one-inch horizontal tear in the margin, which does not affect the text.
No. VI has 18 pages of ads in the front, an engraved portrait of Charles Dickens followed by an engraving of a cathedral after the ads in front, with a tissue guard in between, followed by the two regular plates titled “Up The River” and “Sleeping It Off”, with a tissue guard in between these two plates, uncut pages of text, four uncut pages of Contents followed by an Illustrations page and two uncut pages for Dickens books, and an ad for Willcox & Gibbs Sewing Machines and four yellow pages of ads for Chapman & Co’s Entire Wheat Flour at the rear.
All the parts have tissue guards between the plates except No. II, there are some light tears or creases here and there, and the original wrappers and pages are completely unrestored - no repairs whatsoever.
The maroon slipcase measures 9 1/8 x 6 3/8 in. wide and has five raised bands, six compartments and gilt lettering on the spine, and the date in gilt at the heel of the spine; the gilt lion couchant (a lion laying down) with a star-like cross in one paw (a patoncy) and the initials “C.D.” appear in a gilt ring on the cover of the slipcase, and the wrappers are 8 Vo. and measure 8 7/8 x 5 11/16 in. wide., very light soiling and light wear on the covers, and light soiling and modest wear on the spines.
A scarce first edition, first issue set of Edwin Drood in the monthly parts, in a beautiful slipcase, with all the ads and points of issue called for by Eckel and Hatton and Cleaver.
See The First Editions Of Charles Dickens, Their Points and Values, John C. Eckel 1932 and A Bibliography of the Periodical Works of Charles Dickens: Bibliographical, Analytical & Statistical, by Thomas Hatton and Arthur Cleaver 1933, reprinted by Martino Publishing 1999.
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Lots: 129
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SARASOTA
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Featuring multiple books from well-known authors. These books and documents represent four generations of collecting and run the gamut from signed letters by Lafayette, to first editions by Charles Dickens, George Cruikshank, Longfellow, and wonderful paper ephemera. These are just a few of the exceptional books we will be offering. Bidding will take place both in person and online.
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