Pickwick Papers. Charles Dickens, Launceston Edition
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club. Charles Dickens. With illustrations, after Phiz. Pub. by Henry Dowling, Van Diemens Land: Launceston, 1839. 588pp. 18 lithographic illustrations plus a frontispiece and title page, all by Dowling.
The well known 'pirated' edition when printer Dowling compiled the Dickens work from legitimate instalments first published in Australian journals.
Later rebinding in half calf on marbled boards. Text has a few older restorations using paper tape, one old cellophane tape repair. The plates are generally undamaged apart from toning and light foxing. Plate for page 334 has had an older replacement to bottom LH corner. Refer to images. Text is very stained first few pages, and last page, overall body shows little handling, with moderate foxing. There are occasional ink inscriptions…. 'to His Excellency Sir John Franklin' inverted on the last page (perhaps a trial on some 'scrap' paper?) and to the Dedication page the name 'Miss Newman' twice and a sum, this page the worst condition in the book. (22x14cm)

Estimate $1,200-2,000