PROOF COPY SENT TO LADY BLESSINGTON
DICKENS, Charles.
The Chimes: Chapman & Hall. [ 1844 ]
Description
a Goblin story of some bells that rang an old year out and a new year in. Proof Copy sent by Dickens to Lady Blessington after 6th December, 1844. Half title, frontispiece & additional engraved title, illus. by Daniel Maclise, Richard Doyle, John Leech, Clarkson Stanfield. Handsomely bound in 19th century full green crushed morocco; hinges skilfully repaired, small mark to front board. Bookplates of M.C. Borden and John C. Eckel. a.e.g. v.g. Bound after the half title is a manuscript address leaf in Dickens's hand: 'Private the Countess of Blessington. Charles Dickens' and an engraved portrait of the Countess after A.E. Chalon. Press cutting (undated) pasted in at end records the sale of this copy, where it is described as the 'only gem' of a Dickens sale. In cloth slipcase.
Footnote
Dickens writes in his letter to Lady Blessington of 6th December, 1844 (Letters, Vol. IV, p.235): 'My proofs have been delayed. I send them to you the moment I receive them. As the book is not published until the sixteenth, I need not ask you to keep them "close".'
There is an additional India Proof plate bound in opposite Page 19 of an illustration, not used in the published book, of Trotty Veck and Meg by John Leech. Dickens wrote to Kate Dickens on 2nd December, 1844 - 'the little book is now, so far as I am concerned, all ready. One cut of Doyle's and one of Leech's I found so unlike my idea that I had them both to breakfast with me this morning, and with that winning manner which you know of, got them with the highest good humour to do both afresh. They are now hard at it. Stanfield's readiness - delight - wonder at my being pleased - in what he has done is delicious. Mac's frontispiece is charming. The book is quite splendid, the expences will be very great I have no doubt'.
There is a similar proof copy in the Gimbel Collection (page 87 'a second copy', where it is described as 'a trial issue' and indicates the differences from the published version). The Gimbel copy is signed by Charlotte Jeffrey and is the copy sent for review to Francis Jeffrey of The Edinburgh Review. There are the following differences between the first issue and this Proof Copy: the type in which the author's name is set on the titlepage is one millimeter taller; pages 34 and 120 lack running titles and printed page numbers; the text is reset in lines 17 to 19 of page 95, lines 15 to 21 of page 119, line 1 and 2 of page 123, and lines 4 and 5 of page 171; there is broken or raised type in line 18 on page 87, line 6 on page 139, line 22 on page 147, and line 22 on page 163.
THIS ITEM IS IN "THE LIBRARY OF A DICKENSIAN". For an email or printed copy, please contact Jarndyce.
Price
£35000.00
