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Charles Dickens A Gossip about his Life, Works and Characters In Six Divisions.
Thomas Archer
c1890
Cassell and Company Limited : London
17.5" by 13"
16; 32; 48; 64; 80; 92pp.
SUMMARY
The complete set of Archer's charmingly illustrated biography of Charles Dickens, containing facts and anecdotes about the author.
Illustrated,Original Binding
Overall Condition: Very Good
This book weighs 5 KG when packed
UK Postage: £ 4.49
US Postage: £ 42.99
EU Postage: £ 27.99
European Postage: £ 45.99
Asia Postage: £ 74.99
Worldwide Postage: £ 129.99
DESCRIPTION
Written and edited by Thomas Archer. Author of "Fifty Years of Social and Political Progress", "Decisive Events in History", "Vanishing London", and "Pictures, Royal Portraits".
Complete in six divisions.
Originally supplied to subscribers only.
Collated complete with a total of eighteen photogravures, and numerous wood-cut vignettes. Illustrated by Victorian illustrator, caricaturist, genre painter, and well known Dickens' illustrator, Frederick (Fred) Barnard.
Barnard was commissioned in 1871 by Chapman and Hall to illustrate nine volumes of the Household Edition of Dickens's works, including 'Bleak House', 'A Tale of Two Cities', 'Sketches by Boz', 'Nicholas Nickleby', 'Barnaby Rudge', 'Dombey and Son' and 'Martin Chuzzlewit'. He followed in the footsteps of the respected Hablot Knight Browne ("Phiz") who had worked with Dickens himself. Barnard decided that he would concentrate on scenes other than those that Browne and Dickens had chosen to portray. Whereas 'Phiz' was inclined to create dramatic group scenes for his prints, Barnard was more interested in showing the relationships between pairs of characters. While Phiz had to produce illustrations for the monthly serials as Dickens wrote them, Barnard had the advantage of being able to read the complete work repeatedly before starting on his drawings. At the same time Barnard had to seamlessly blend the characters as visualised by 'Phiz' with his own style, not daring to deviate too much from their established appearance. It was this dangerous, but ultimately successful balancing act that earned Barnard many admirers, and established him as a notable illustrator and artist.
CONDITION
In original quarter cloth bindings with paper covered boards. Externally, sound, with some light marks to the boards. Division one has some heavier sunning to the boards. Internally, firmly bound. Pages bright, with the occasional light scattered spotting and handling marks.
Overall Condition: Very Good
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Overall Condition
(Dustwrapper condition rating is shown after that for the book itself, where a dustwrapper is present)
Fine - Very well preserved copy showing very little wear
Very Good Indeed - Only one or two minor faults, really a very attractive copy
Very Good - Quite a wide term meaning no major faults but probably several smaller ones
often expected given the age of the book, but still a respectable copy
Good - Meaning not very good. Some more serious faults as will
be described in the condition report under 'condition'
Good Only - Meaning one or more faults that could really do with repair
Fair - As with good only above but with other faults
leaving a compromised copy even after repair
Poor - Really bad and possibly seriously incomplete.
We only sell books in this condition where their rarity or value makes them
attractive none the less. Major defects will be described.
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