Master Humphrey’s Clock, Volumes I & II

1840 [1841]. First edition in book form. Volumes I and II only (of three).  [6], iv, 396, [2]; [2], 228, [2]pp, with full page engraved frontispiece in Volume and prolific engravings in text, mostly by Hablot Browne (perhaps better known as Phiz) with contributions from George Cattermole and others. Both volumes uniformly bound in full black morocco leather binding, with extensive gilt and blind toolwork decorations on the front and rear panels, elaborate filigree gilt decorations and gilt lettering on red labels on spine.  All edges marbled.  Marbled endpapers.  Green silk ribbon marker in volume II only.  Extensive gilt filigree inner dentelles.  Tall 8vos.  Externally smart with light rubs and scuffs around edges and joints, with a little mild shelf wear.  Marbling on text block edges has faded.  Previous owner’s name. dated 1841, neatly inked on the first true leaf; and repeated in pencil on the first true leaf in volume II.  Faint and occasional spotting affecting the first and last few leaves only in each volume.  Small bookseller’s ticket on the first leaf of volume I is rusted.  

Master Humphrey’s Clock was a weekly periodical edited and entirely written by Charles Dickens, published between April 1840 and December 1841. A publishing experiment, it began as a frame story, with Master Humphrey forming a story-telling club, but it soon transformed to feature full length novels, becoming the vehicle for the first publication of The Old Curiosity Shop and Barnaby Rudge  Volume I contains the Master Humphrey’s short stories, and Volume II, the complete The Old Curiosity Shop.  (Barnaby Rudge is in Volume III, not present in this set.

A handsome and pleasing set..