DICKENS, CHARLESA Tale of Two Cities. London: Chapman and Hall, June - December 1859 8 parts in 7, 8vo (8 7/8 x 5 3/8 in.; 225 x 137 mm). Etched frontispiece, additional title and 14 plates by and after H.K. Browne, first issue of parts 7/8 with page 213 misnumbered as "113"; one plate in part 6 with marginal tear just reaching caption, plate list frayed at margins. Original blue-green pictorial wrappers by Browne; browning to upper wrapper of part 1 and lower wrapper of part 7/8, spine of part 2 worn, others a little chipped at head and tail. In green morocco slipcase; some rubbing, spine sunned. The scarce first edition, in original monthly parts “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair..." A Tale of Two Cities has remained on of Dickens' most popular novels (particularly in North America). The elaborate adventure story, set during the second half of the eighteenth century, was directly inspired by his friend Thomas Carlyle's French Revolution (1837). It is the last of Dickens' novels to have been illustrated by "Phiz," and also marked the return of Chapman and Hall as Dickens's publishers. A Tale of Two Cities appeared simultaneously in the first thirty-two numbers of All the Year Round, which was, of course, edited by Dickens. "Exceeded in scarcity only by Pickwick and Sketches by Boz" (Eckel). LITERATURE:Eckel 86-90: Gimbel A142; Hatton and Cleaver 331-342 PROVENANCE:Christie's London, 1 June 2009, lot 133Condition ReportCondition as described in catalogue entry. The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The
DICKENS, CHARLESA Tale of Two Cities. London: Chapman and Hall, June - December 1859 8 parts in 7, 8vo (8 7/8 x 5 3/8 in.; 225 x 137 mm). Etched frontispiece, additional title and 14 plates by and after H.K. Browne, first issue of parts 7/8 with page 213 misnumbered as "113"; one plate in part 6 with marginal tear just reaching caption, plate list frayed at margins. Original blue-green pictorial wrappers by Browne; browning to upper wrapper of part 1 and lower wrapper of part 7/8, spine of part 2 worn, others a little chipped at head and tail. In green morocco slipcase; some rubbing, spine sunned. The scarce first edition, in original monthly parts “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair..." A Tale of Two Cities has remained on of Dickens' most popular novels (particularly in North America). The elaborate adventure story, set during the second half of the eighteenth century, was directly inspired by his friend Thomas Carlyle's French Revolution (1837). It is the last of Dickens' novels to have been illustrated by "Phiz," and also marked the return of Chapman and Hall as Dickens's publishers. A Tale of Two Cities appeared simultaneously in the first thirty-two numbers of All the Year Round, which was, of course, edited by Dickens. "Exceeded in scarcity only by Pickwick and Sketches by Boz" (Eckel). LITERATURE:Eckel 86-90: Gimbel A142; Hatton and Cleaver 331-342 PROVENANCE:Christie's London, 1 June 2009, lot 133Condition ReportCondition as described in catalogue entry. The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The
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