Philadelphia: Carey & Hart, 1844. Early American edition. 12mo. Illustrated with a hand-colored lithographed frontispiece, three hand-colored lithographed plates, and four wood-engraved plates, after John Leech. Publisher's dark blue cloth-covered boards, decorated in blind and in gilt, joints lightly rubbed, corners very lightly worn; all edges trimmed; front endpapers renewed; scattered spotting to text; light foxing to plates; in orange morocco slip case and chemise. Smith, pp. 32-36

A stunning early American edition of Charles Dickens's classic Christmas story. While this edition has traditionally been considered the first American edition, Walter E. Smith, in his recent bibliography of the first American editions of Charles Dickens, now designates that to the New York Harper & Brothers edition. According to newspaper ads examined by Smith, their edition was published on January 24, 1844, while the Carey & Hart edition was published later that year, on April 19.