A CHRISTMAS CAROL – UNCOMMON EDITIONS

I first visited Charles Dickens home in London in 1990 and became fascinated with A CHRISTMAS CAROL and began collecting different editions of the tale and ephemera. I wanted to do readings in my bookshop in Haddonfield, NJ, but that never happened. Relocating to New Hampshire in 2002, in 2008 I wrote my own stage adaptation of this classic and for seven years produced it. Many scene changes with utilization of a scrim, up to fifty performers from The Walpole Players, we accepted donations at the door for the local area food shelves, raising over $27,000 during our run. It is now time for me to find new homes for a few of my cherished editions.

c1917 – A CHRISTMAS CAROL – DESIGNED BY ALAN TABOR – UNCOMMON EDITION – SIGNED BY CEDRIC CHARLES DICKENS IN 1986

A CHRISTMAS CAROL IN PROSE BEING A GHOST STORY OF CHRISTMAS BY CHARLES DICKENS – Designed by Alan Tabor with Frontispiece by Monro S. Orr – Published by The Hubbell Publishing Co., New York. Unpaginated (about 112 pages), color frontis, black and white illustrations, Calligraphic text (in double columns) , decorative initials and borders, decorative title page, printed in red and black. Green cloth, hardcover, book block measures about 7 inches by about 10 1/8 inches. Some light foxing on acidic paper. In addition, this copy was SIGNED BY CEDRIC CHARLES DICKENS IN 1986. Cedric David Charles Dickens (24 September 1916 – 11 February 2006) was an English author and businessman, a great-grandson of Charles Dickens and the steward of his literary legacy.

This is an extremely uncommon edition (I found an auction record of 260 pounds). Manchester UK artist Alan Lansdown Tabor (1883-1957) did the work on the text. An earlier edition was done in 1916 by Tabor for the George G. Harrap & Co., but that edition is also scarce.

PRICE — ~~$225~~ — SOLD

1924 – A CHRISTMAS CAROL – by CHARLES DICKENS – Illustrated by ETHEL F. EVERETT

Published by Thomas Y. Crowell Company, New York, 1924, 144 pages, 12 color plates tipped in. Good+, dark red cloth in uncommon lightly chipped dust jacket. Another uncommon edition of this classic from my personal collection.

**Some glare in image above and below from dust jacket protector**

PRICE – ~~$65~~ – SORRY SOLD

c1920 – CHRISTMAS STORIES by CHARLES DICKENS: A CHRISTMAS CAROL and THE HOLLY TREE

Published by McLoughlin Brothers, New York, no date, circa 1910-1920s. 144 pages with both stories included. The important thing with this edition is the color frontis of Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim.

SOLD

1930s – DICKENS’ CHRISTMAS CAROL AND OTHER STORIES – THE PLEASANT HOUR SERIES

Includes: A CHRISTMAS CAROL (48 pages) by Charles Dickens; and, THE MAN WITHOUT A COUNTRY (45 pages followed by ads) by Edward Everett Hall – published by Barse & Hopkins Publishers, New York, no date, but gift date of 1934 on front free endpaper. Hardcover, maroon cloth with pictorial pastedown. Four color plates as called for.

PRICE – $25

1986 – A CHRISTMAS CAROL by CHARLES DICKENS – Illustrated by ARTHUR RACKAM

Published by Octopus Books Limited, London, 1986 – strangely an edition not often seen with “12 superb color plates, many fine line drawings and silhouettes by the well loved artist Arthur Rackam.” Hardcover, 143 pages, green cloth with dust jacket. Sadly the front cover “took a hit” at some point it its live with a tear. Once a dust jacket protector is on the book it will be harder to see. Owner inscription on blank preliminary page.