Dickens, Charles | A Christmas Carol, bound in red morocco

A Christmas Carol. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas. London: Chapman & Hall, 1843.

8vo. Half-title and verso of title printed in blue, red and blue title-page, engraved frontispiece, 3 hand-colored plates and 4 woodcuts in the text by John Leech, 2pp. of advertisements at the end; occasional very light spotting and soiling. Red morocco, bookmark ribbon, spine gilt, publisher's cinnamon cloth upper cover, spine and original green endpapers bound in at end, Todd's first impression, first issue, with 14-15 mm between closest points of blind-stamping and gold wreath of upper cover, the "D" of "Dickens" unbroken, all edges gilt; spine a little sunned.

"Bah!" "Humbug!" A handsomely bound first impression, first edition of Dickens' first Christmas book.

Dickens can be credited with distilling, for all, the modern idea of Christmas through his careful reverence and description of the wondrous traditions and their deeper social purpose. The Christmas Carol was an immense success, with the first edition selling out by Christmas Eve following its release on 19 December.

REFERENCES:

Smith II: 4; Eckel pp. 110-115