THE CHIMES: A Goblin Story of Some Bells That Rang an Old Year Out and a New Year In
(London: Chapman and Hall, 1845).
RARE FIRST EDITION IN A REFINED AND HANDSOME BINDING BY THE FRENCH BINDER S. DAVID. This was Dickens second installment in the Christmas Books series and his labors in creating THE CHIMES were very arduous in order to make it a worthy successor to A CHRISTMAS CAROL. He wrote to one of his friends that he believed he had written a tremendous book and knocked the Carol out of the field. It will make a great uproar I have no doubt. It exceeded the CHRISTMAS CAROL in initial sales, and is a charming tale.
This is a pleasing copy in fine binding and an altogether delightful piece of Dickensiana. Item #30345
First edition, First Issue with the publisher's imprint within the border of the engraved vignette title, complete with the initial ad leaf and half-title. Engraved frontispiece and title-page, 11 other illustrations by John Leech, Richard Doyle, and others. Small 8vo, handsomely bound in full dark blue-green crushed levant morocco by the French binder S. David showing the refinement and delicacy associated with the best traditional bindings of the ages. The spine with raised bands, one compartment lettered in gilt, fine French marbled endleaves, binding edges gilt tooled, the turnovers with gilt roll tooling at the borders surrounding triple gilt fillet rules surrounding another roll tooled inner border gilt, all edges gilt, the original cloth covers bound in at the front and rear. [viii], 175 pp. A very bright, handsome and well preserved copy.