Master Humphrey's clock. by Dickens, Charles - 1840

London: Chapman & Hall, 1840. 12mo (26.2 cm, 10.3"). 3 vols. I: Frontis., [2], iv, 306 pp.; illus. II: Frontis. (incl. in pagination), vi, 306 pp.; illus. III: Frontis. (incl. in pagination), vi, 426 pp.; illus.

First book-form edition of Dickens's weekly periodical — a variety of pieces gathered under a framing device of a storytelling circle led by Master Humphrey and the other members of his club. The serial marked => the first appearance of Barnaby Rudge, as well as of the enormously popular The Old Curiosity Shop, which more or less took over the author's original design of focusing on articles and sketches.
    The three volumes are => illustrated by George Cattermole and Hablot "Phiz" Browne with numerous in-text engravings, displaying the former artist's skill with architecture and views and the latter's with humor and character.
    
    NSTC 2D11892; Smith, Dickens in the Original Cloth, 6. Publisher's ribbed maroon cloth, covers with blind-stamped floral and arabesque frame and front covers with gilt-stamped clock vignette, spines gilt extra; extremities rubbed, spines faded, joints tender with some starting from extremities, cloth showing small splits at joint and spine extremities, each volume now housed in a maroon cloth chemise and the trio in a matching box. Front pastedowns with small, attractive institutional bookplate; vol. III with small area of abrasion from now-lacking bookplate. Pages faintly age-toned with a very few scattered light spots, overall pleasingly clean. Vol. III with small nick to upper outer edge of first few leaves. => An attractive item of Dickensiana, with two of the author's most significant illustrators splendidly represented.