Personal History and Experience of David Copperfield the Younger by DICKENS, Charles

DICKENS, Charles. The Personal History and Experience of David Copperfield the Younger. Original printed wrappers. New-York: John Wiley [Parts 1-10 and 19/20; G.P. Putnam [Parts 11-18], 1849-1850. 20 Parts in 19. First American edition in parts. Rare, two copies offered at auction in the last 70 years. Gimbel A123. Edgar & Vail, p.25. Wilkins, p.29.In 1849-1850 both the Philadelphia firm of Lea and Blanchard and the New York firm of John Wiley issued David Copperfield in parts, from the English parts then coming out. (The front wrapper of the first two parts states "This edition is re-printed from proof sheets received by special arrangement from the London Publishers.") John Wiley of New York issued the first ten parts under his imprint, the next eight are under the imprint of G.P. Putnam, and the final double number bore the Wiley imprint again. The English serial parts had 40 plates (two per part) by H.K. Browne ("Phiz"). In the Wiley-Putnam parts, the first part reads "Illustrated by H.K. Browne" while the others read "The illustrations engraved on wood by J.W. Orr [& Brother], from designs by H.K. Browne." Wilkins states the Orr plates are "much better drawn and engraved than those in the Philadelphia edition." A complete set of Wiley-Putnam parts contains 36 plates, not 40. Wiley had problems getting plates engraved in time to accompany their corresponding text and so he issued Part 3 sans plates, and beginning with that part the wrapper states "The illustrations for this No. will be given with the next." Part 19/20 has the two plates that go with the text of Part 18, and that final part's wrapper states at the foot: "The FOUR ILLUSTRATIONS for this Number will be furnished to Subscribers, Gratis, in a few days." Very old waterstain to the foredge of Part One, not affecting text, Part One also has small ink stain on front wrapper several wrappers professionally repaired; else a very good set, housed in custom green morocco-backed slipcase with inner cloth chemise. Ownership signature of George William Gordon of Boston, a strong Abolitionist who ran for governor on the Fillmore Party ballot (and lost). It would be difficult to overstate the extreme scarcity of complete American parts issued of Dickens' major novels.