Visions of America: The Stephen White Collection

Half-titles; 1p. publisher's advertisement in vol. I and 6pp. at end of vol. II. Original blind-stamped dark plum cloth, gilt-lettered spines, uncut (spine ends worn, light sunning, joints starting).

FIRST EDITION, FIRST STATE, with the second page of Vol. I table of contents misnumbered as page xvi and 6pp. of advertisements at the end of Vol. II. Dickens preface to American Notes was removed from the preliminary pages because John Forester advised him that it might be misunderstood in America at the time and the original pagination was not immediately altered, as here, in the first state, with p. x incorrectly numbered xvi. In the second state, the preliminaries were reprinted with the correct pagination. Dickens' preface was not published during his lifetime; it first appeared in Forester’s biography of Dickens. Eckel, p. 108; Gimbel A66; Smith 2:3.