Bleak House
London: Bradbury & Evans, 1853. First edition. Hardcover. Large 8vo. [7], viii-xvi, [1], 2-624, [2] pp. Half-bound in contemporary black calf over marbled boards, calf and board edges ruled in gilt. Spine has five raised bands and decorations and a red morocco label with gilt lettering. Bound from the parts, as evidenced from sea-green wrapper residue on one of the leaves. Illustrated by a vignette title page and an engraved frontispiece, with ten dark plates, in total the illustrations contain 40 steel lithograph plates. Lacks the advertisements, wrappers, and half-titles. Text collates as complete, as per Hatton & Cleaver. The plate that was mistakenly bound in Part 10 (Visitors at the Shooting Gallery) is bound in Part 9 in this copy, facing the correct page. The three errata as well as the errata called for by the list of illustrations are present in this copy. An old British booksellers tag is affixed to the front pastedown, Myers & Co on New Bond Street in London. Eckel 79. Hatton & Cleaver 275. Bleak House focuses on the abuses in the Courts of Chancery, and was a source of controversy for Leigh Hunt, a man who was rumoured to be the source for the character Skimpole. Near Fine. Item #00007549
A Near Fine book with a few hints of wear to the extremities, a contemporary owner's name written on the front pastedown, very few spots of foxing throughout.
Price: $1,000.00