A CHILD'S HISTORY OF ENGLAND by Dickens, Charles - 1853

1853. [the scarce first US edition] [In Two Volumes.] New York: Harper & Brothers, 1853/1854. Original blind-stamped red cloth with gilt-decorated spines. First American Edition, first printing (properly dated 1853 and 1854, and with a different publisher's address in each volume). As with the three volumes of the English edition, which were issued separately in December of 1851, 1852 and 1853, the two volumes of Harper's edition were obviously issued separately -- on 18 March 1853 and on 25 March 1854, according to bibliographer Walter Smith (from the Harper Archives). When Harper published the second volume, they also released a new printing of the first (with its date changed to 1854, and with their address changed to 82 Beekman Street). A two-volume edition was also published by Jenks, Hickling & Swan of Boston, but with both volumes dated 1854. This is a very good copy, the only significant defect being some chipping at the ends of the spines. In our experience this edition (especially the 1853-dated first volume) is scarce in original cloth -- much scarcer than the three-volume English edition; in fact this is the only such 1853/1854 copy we have had (twice) in our forty years in business. Smith pp 110-113 (with photographs of this copy); Podeschi (Yale) A129; not in Carr. Provenance: both volumes bear the penciled signature of bibliographer Walter Smith; also included is Sumner & Stillman's original 2012 description-slip for this copy, part of the Dan Calinescu Collection, purchased by Walter Smith -- with his penciled instructions to the printer regarding photography of this copy in his bibliography.