DICKENS, Charles (1812-1870). [Christmas Books].

A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas. London: Chapman & Hall, 1843. Second edition, first state, with title-page printed in red and blue and dated 1843, with yellow endpapers, and with the balance of the text corrected (but without "Second Edition" on the title-page). Provenance: Sold at The Old Curiosity Shop (bookplate, description laid in). Eckel, pp.110-115; Smith II:4.

The Chimes: A Goblin Story of Some Bells that Rang an Old Year Out and a New Year In. London: Bradbury and Evans for Chapman and Hall, 1845. FIRST EDITION, FIRST STATE. Eckel, pp.116-118; Smith II:5.

The Cricket on the Hearth. A Fairy Tale of Home. London: Bradbury and Evans for the Author, 1846 [i.e. December 1845]. FIRST EDITION. Eckel, pp. 119-120; Smith II:6.

The Battle of Life. A Love Story. London: Bradbury and Evans, 1846. FIRST EDITION. Vignette title-page Eckel variant 4. Eckel, pp. 121-23; Smith II:8.

The Haunted Man and The Ghost's Bargain. A Fancy for Christmas-Time. London: Bradbury and Evans, 1848. FIRST EDITION. Eckel, pp. 124-25; Smith II:9.

Together, 5 volumes, 8vo. (Some browning or spotting.) Original publisher's cloth gilt (some light staining or wear, a few small repairs); all housed in red half morocco slipcase. Provenance for the lot: William Joseph Connery (bookplates).

Property from a Private Collection, Chicago, Illinois