M & S Rare Books

Document Information
Our descriptions are copyrighted, and may not be reproduced without permission. (title 17, U. S. Code).

Rare Belford & Clarke Dickens

 

DICKENS, CHARLES. Dickens' Works. [Spine label]. 12 volumes. Chicago and New York: Belford, Clarke & Co., [ca. 1880]. 12mo. Illustrated by J. Mahoney, F. Barnard. Contemp. 3/4 calf & marbled boards. Spines worn, a few covers loose. Internally very good. $400.00

 

A rare set, the NUC recording only six volumes at Harvard (ND0246158). Belford, Clarke were early and highly successful department store reprint merchandisers, and according to Mott, writing in Golden Multitudes, they sold "in the neighborhood of 40,000 sets of Dickens in the eighties at $4 to $5."

Printed by Trow's Printing Co. in New York. Published prior to 1888, as in that year the Chicago and New York firms split. Podeschi apparently calls for 14 volumes, but indicates that David Copperfield is not present. But DC is present in our set. Only the spine indicates these volumes belong to a set, so it is unclear how many volumes to expect, but 15 is a likely number.