OLIVER TWIST, THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF NICHOLAS NICKLEBY, [and] AMERICAN NOTES FOR GENERAL CIRCULATION

1839-42 · Philadelphia

by DICKENS, CHARLES. FIRST OR EARLY AMERICAN PRINTINGS OF THREE WORKS

Philadelphia: Lea & Blanchard; New York: Harper & Brothers, 1839-42. Various Editions, as described below. 16 pp. (ads), [2] leaves, 13-212 pp., [8] leaves inserted (ads); viii, 13-403 [1] pp.; 92 pp., [2] leaves (ads). Three separately published works..
Oliver Twist in publisher's purple-brown cloth, smooth spine with gilt title and depiction of Oliver; "Nicholas Nickleby" in original tan paper boards backed with dark brown buckram, smooth spine with paper label; "American Notes" in original brown paper wrappers, printed in black, in modern green buckram chemise and slipcase, red morocco label. Oliver Twist with 24 plates by Cruikshank; (truncated) "Nicholas Nickleby" with two plates by Phiz (Hablot Knight Browne). Oliver Twist with the ex libris of W. Miller/ Dickensiana to the front pastedown, additionally with the pencilled ownership inscription "J. B. Finlay, Esq., Woodlea, Saratoga Springs, New York, 1864," and an additional ink ownership inscription "Beekman Finlay" to the front flyleaf. "Nicholas Nickleby" with illegible early ink inscription to the front flyleaf. "American Notes" with the early ink ownership inscription of Marshall Whittemore and the pencilled inscription of M. A. Lebbette to the title. Oliver Twist: Wilkins, p. 15; Podeschi A31. "Nicholas Nickelby": Podeschi A43; Wilkins p. 17. "American Notes": Podeschi A67; Wilkins p. 24. Bindings rather sunned; "Notes" with the wrappers a bit chipped and soiled, "Notes" also rather foxed internally because of poor paper quality (though the other two works generally quite clean), scattered light stains, plates with overall mild toning, other trivial defects, but all still perfectly acceptable in their solid, unrestored original bindings.

This is a pleasing group of three early American Dickens printings, all in their original publisher's bindings, and well preserved when considering the poor state of bookmaking in the United States at the time. Of "Oliver," one of the author's most famous works, Day says, "the novel's lasting achievement is the symbolic power of the dark underwolrd of the poor. The pitiful figure of Oliver holding out his little bowl and asking for more is an ineradicable symbol of all the needy children in the world pleading for sustenance. In such universalizing lies the magic of Dickens." The work first appeared in America in two volumes, published by Lea & Blanchard (previously Carey, Lea, and Blanchard), in 1838-39. Our single volume edition followed shortly in 1839, initially in a state containing only two frontispiece etchings, and shortly after with the full 24, as here. This copy, which retains the original ads before and after the text, is from the library of an important Dickens scholar: William Miller was a founding member of the Dickens Fellowship, and helped create their journal, "Dickensiana." He published a Dickens bibliography, "The Dickens Student and Collector," in 1946, and had a large collection of Dickens' works and related ephemera, particularly focusing on musical adaptations of Dickens' works. Our copy also belonged to John Beekman Finlay (1810-69), an early president of the First National Bank of Saratoga Springs and a justice of the peace. "Nicholas Nickleby," written during the same period as "Oliver," follows the eponymous character's attempts to get by and to protect his virtuous sister, Kate, from poverty, suitors with evil motives, and the pair's cartoonishly cruel uncle Ralph. Day writes that, while the plot is "rather hopeless," in this novel "Dickens creates some of the most extraordinary scenes in English literature," with deliciously comic and highly theatrical juxtapositions of character and scene. Originally released in 20 parts by Lea & Blanchard from 1838-39, the present version is the first complete edition released in the United States. Apparently two concurrent states were released, one with all 39 of the Phiz illustrations and the second, as in our copy, with two frontispiece illustrations only. The third work here is probably the most unfavorably received of all of Dickens' books, particularly in the States. "Notes" reflects the hearty dislike the author developed for America during his tour there in the winter and spring of 1842. He was disgusted with the Americans' rough-hewn lack of sophistication and especially with the toleration of slavery, and the book clearly shows his antipathy. Ours was one of three editions released in November of 1842; there is some disagreement about which of these is truly the first American edition, but they all were issued within a few days of each other.. (Inventory #: ST16660a)

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