DICKENS | A Christmas Carol, 1843, first edition

DICKENS, CHARLES

A Christmas Carol. London: Chapman and Hall, 1843

12mo (164 x 102mm.), FIRST EDITION FIRST IMPRESSION FIRST ISSUE, upper cover with 14-15mm gap between blind-stamped border and central gilt wreath, unbroken serif of 'D' in Dickens, green endpapers, red and blue title-page, uncorrected text of 'Stave I' on p.[1] and uncorrected text throughout, half-title, engraved frontispiece, 3 hand coloured plates and 4 woodcuts in the text by John Leech, 2pp. advertisements at end, original cinnamon vertically ribbed cloth stamped in blind and gilt, green endpapers, all edges gilt, collector's red calf-backed folding case, occasional slight spotting, covers lightly faded and marked, spine lightly worn at head and foot

The first of Dickens' Christmas Books and the one that almost single-handedly invented the idea of a joyous Christmas. Dickens first had the concept in October 1843 and by the following month, John Leech, introduced to him by George Cruikshank, was working on the illustrations. Dickens composed the story in his head whilst walking the streets of London at night. It was issued ten days before Christmas and 6000 copies were sold on the first day. Dickens paid for the production on the understanding he took all the profit. It was, however, an expensive production due to the coloured endpapers and the hand colouring of the illustrations, hence his profit was low even though sales were high. 

LITERATURE:

Smith II: 4; Eckel pp. 110-115