[Literature] Dickens, Charles. Bleak House

London: Bradbury and Evans, March 1852-September 1853. 20 parts in 19 volumes. First edition, in original monthly parts. 8vo. All ads and slips present per Hatton & Cleaver, except for the "Grace Aguilar's Works" ad at rear of No. XVI. With third issue of "Crochet Cotton" ad slip at rear No. III. Illustrated with an etched frontispiece, etched vignette title-page, and 38 etched plates by Hablot Knight Browne ("Phiz"), including the ten "Dark" plates. Publisher's limp printed green pictorial wrappers; bookseller's ticket at bottom front wrapper of Nos. III and IV; wrappers starting, No. IV; "Royal Library" ink stamp bottom front wrapper, No. VII; No. IX reinforced with later stab-sewn thread, with Advertiser rebound at rear; rear wrapper of Nos. X and XIX/XX detached but present; two small open tears in rear wrapper, No. XIV; wear and soiling along all wrappers, chipping and small losses along most spines. Text unopened in Nos. I and XV; prelims partially unopened in No. XIX/XX; plates darkened in Nos. III and IV, moderate to heavy foxing to other plates, generally along edges; fore-edges in Nos. XI and XVI worn and creased, some from when opened; in three-quarter brick red morocco solander box and chemises. Hatton & Cleaver, pp. 275-304; Eckel, pp. 79-81

A handsome set of the first edition in the original monthly parts. "The new novel was an attack on the abuses in the Courts of Chancery...two material innovations were present in the new novel. The author had wisely discarded the lengthy titles which burdened his previous books and accepted the sanity of short ones...The other change was from the 'green leaves' as he called his earlier books in parts. In 'Bleak House' he used a distinctive blue cover." (Eckel) Another technical innovation was by illustrator Hablot Knight Browne and his inclusion of the so-called "Dark Plates". "As Dickens's vision of society darkened, Browne adjusted his techniques, pioneering in the use of 'dark plates', where the plate was machine-ruled in parallel grooves which printed an almost uniform tone either before or after the figures and background were hand drawn. These brooding, atmospheric designs harmonized with the gloomy, foggy world of Bleak House and Little Dorrit." (Schlicke, The Oxford Companion to Charles Dickens, p. 59)

From the private library of Dr. David L. Harrar II, Sunnyvale, California

[Literature] Dickens, Charles. Bleak House