For sale is a rare and desirable early state/first edition of The Memoirs of Joseph Grimaldi, by Charles Dickens. Published by Richard Bentley, London, 1838. A full suite of plates by Cruikshank, as called for. Collated as complete throughout. All of Smith’s text points here present - inclusive of the last plate being without the ‘Grotesque Border’.

Bound in the publisher’s primary original pink cloth binding, with tooling in gilt to the spine, and with flowers to the boards. Original yellow-coated endpapers. A smart armorial bookplate to both volumes.

Externally the bindings remain in truly superb order: the cloth is bright and with only occasional the lightest extraneous marking.

Internally, save the odd spot here and there, the textblock is exceptionally bright, and the pages are in very good condition. The plates are as fresh as we have seen.

Overall, we highly recommend this lovely volume; an important work in the majestic career of Dickens, this is a must-have for those who seek a first edition, in the original binding. We have not handled a better example.