The Christmas Books : A Christmas Carol, The Chimes, The Cricket On The Hearth, The Battle Of Life And The Haunted Man Dickens, Charles

Seventh editions of A Christmas Carol and The Chimes, and first editions of the later three titles. A set in handsome mid-nineteenth century fine vellum bindings, elaborately decorated in gilt to the spines with green and red title labels, the boards are slightly bevelled and embellished in the centre of each front panel with the original owner's monogram in gilt, bordered in triple-gilt and red, the borders repeated without monogram to the rear board, gilt decoration to all edges of the boards, flowing into fleur-de-lis patterned gilt dentelles, the text blocks with all edges gilt and marbled endpapers. To the front pastedown of each volume is the handsome colour armorial bookplate of a member of the Wilson Clan, with their motto: "Semper Vigilans" [Always Watchful]. The boards are somewhat grubby and rubbed, with cracking at several hinges and small nicks to the leather, the hinges are still reasonably secure, the extremities are slightly bumped and rubbed. The text blocks are slightly foxed, marked and age toned, A Christmas Carol retains its colour frontispiece and the 3 colour plates, all in good order, The Chimes has some dog-eared page corners. The Cricket on the Hearth is bound without ads so presumed to be a later issue and The Battle of Life is in the most commonly found fourth state. A particularly attractive uniform set of early and first editions in contemporary fine bindings.