Solander box labelled 'Dickensiana', containing a large number of engravings (some of them said to be cancelled or suppressed), as well as removed title pages and prelims, removed from works by Charles Dickens.

Clearly assembled by an enthusiastic collector or dealer-collector (possibly - from an inscription reproduced below - Harold Child, writer?). While the title-leaves and prelims are in variable condition there is no evidence that the prints, which are for the most part very well preserved, have been removed from volumes. The number of duplicates (as many as five copies of the same item) would indicate that this is unlikely, and it is probable that they were acquired separately. The box, measuring 31 x 24 x 5 cm, is half bound in brown cloth with worn leather spine, on which 'VOL. II | JAN.-APRIL | 1902' is stamped in gilt, with a discoloured label above it on which 'DICKENSIANA' is written in MS. It contains: An engraving (print size, 16 x 8 cm; leaf size, 27 x 19), captioned at foot in pencil 'John Dickens No 3.' and inscribed in pencil on reverse 'To H. Child from John F. Dexter. 1922. Published 1883. Early Proof before Facsimile autograph, etc.' Very good with light foxing to margins. Also a leaf (18 x 16 cm), printed on one side with 12 coloured mid-nineteenth-century caricatures of Dickens characters. Each captioned (i.e. 'Something will turn up.', 'Mrs. Leo Hunter', 'Mrs. Pipchin', 'Mrs. Crupp', 'Mrs. Bardell'. Each illustration is 6 x 4 cm with no margin between, and they were clearly intended to be cut up for separate mounting. With some chipping at extremities, slight loss to one corner and a closed tear. Also 2 copies, one coloured and the other uncoloured, of a plate by F. W. Pailthorpe captioned 'LITHERS. Good gracious me! why, if it ain't Mr Gabblewig Junior! Scene 1st.' Both in good condition. Also the green printed illustrated wraps to '24 Illustrations to the Pickwick Club by Fredk. W. Pailthorpe. London, Robson & Kerslake 43 Cranbourn St. Leicester Sqre. 1882.' Worn and with some discolouration to extremities, but with Pailthorpe's illustration clear and undamaged. A folder marked 'Illustrations to the Cheap Edition of the Works of Mr. Charles Dickens. Six Illustrations to The Pickwick Club. Engraved from Original Drawings By Phiz. Uncut. (no wrapper) [heavily aged, and accompanied by an advertisement by Darton & Co and Joseph Cundall, on a pink slip of paper docketed '(1847)', beginning 'Early in June next will be Published, SIX ORIGINAL ILLUSTRATIONS, to bind with the volume of the cheap edition of The Pickwick Papers. Engraved on wood, from drawings by Phiz. Sewed in a Wrapper, price One Shilling.']. Also a touched-up photograph (19.5 x 13.5 cm) captioned on reverse 'Lecture Table. Dickens'. Also 15 paper packets, containing a variety of items (each roughly 22 x 14 cm), docketed in pencil as follows: Packet 1: 'Pickwick Papers. 5 Plates [with 7 duplicates] by 'Buss' & 'Phiz'. Suppressed or unpublished. Victoria Edition. 1887.' Packet 2: '(not wanted) Child's History of England. 4 Plates [with 4 duplicates] by F. H. Towsend [sic] (2): Hutton Mitchell, & E. A. Norbury. Gadshill Edition. [also contains a further 3 plates (1 a duplicate) from the Gadshill Edition]'. Packet 3: 'Uncommercial Traveller (not wanted). 4 single electro-sheets [with 5 duplicates], Harry Furness. Gadshill, 1898.' Packet 4: '(not wanted) American Notes. 6 Plates [in fact 5 with 5 duplicates] by Maurice Greiffenhagen, 1898. Gadshill Edition. (only 5 impressions here, - should be 6.)'. Packet 5: 'Pic-nic Papers. Vol. 1.' [contains the prelims to the Cox and Son printing of the 'First Issue' [6 pp, with pencil marks across title page] and the 'Second Issue' [8 pp, with cancelled ownership inscription to title page], both published in 1841]. Packet 6: 'Reprinted Titles' [consisting of 3 copies of the title leaf of the 1841 Palmer printing of vol. 1 of 'The Pic Nic Papers', 6 copies apiece of the title leaf of vols. 2 and 3; also two copies of the half-title of 'The Library of Fiction, or Family Story-Teller']. Packet 7: 'Little Dorrit. The 9 duplicated plates [with 1 duplicate apiece]. 7 "Dark" plates (5 with captions). 2 Ordinary plates (with captions).' Packet 8: 'Christmas Stories (not wanted). 8 single electro-sheets [with 1 duplicate apiece]. Gadshill, 1898. By Arthur Jule Goodman, 1898.' Packet 9: 'Vol 2' [4 copies of the four-page prelims to vol.2 of the 1841 Palmer printing of 'The Pic Nic Papers', with 2 copies of the 8-page Colburn catalogue of May 1841 which featured at the end of the volume]. Packet 10: 'Vol 3' [1 copy of the title leaf of vol.3 of the first issue 1841 Palmer printing of 'The Pic Nic Papers', with 2 copies of the same leaf with the half-title to 'Esther'; and 1 copy of the second issue of the same volume, and 2 copies of the 6-page prelims to the third issue; also three copies of 'Pic-Nic Papers. Vol 3 last 3 leaves [End Advts], showing gather of sig: [last signature and single leaf]'. Packet 11: '(not wanted) Great Expectations. 10 Plates [in fact 9 with 12 duplicates] by Charles Green. (Gadshill Edition)'. Packet 12: '(not wanted) Life of Dickens. 7 Plates. (3 of each)'. Packet 13: 'Portraits. 3 plates of C. D. 1 plate of Mrs Charles Dickens. (3 of each)'. Packet 14: '(not wanted) Edwin Drood. 4 Plates. (including double steel of Portrait)' [in fact containing 8 copies of an engraved illustrated title to a Chapman & Hall edition of 'Edwin Drood', with the Fildes illustration engraved by Brown]. Packet 15: '(not wanted) Bleak House. 10 Plates [with 1 duplicate apiece]. Duplicates of 'Dark' plates. (all with original captions.)'. The overall condition of the items in these packes is good, but several have explanatory captions typed around the plates and on the reverse. Also a four-page 8vo bifolium by Chapman & Hall advertising Hatton & Cleaver's bibliography (in poor condition).