The sun., 1908-03-22

graph. 'And this b6ok is Owen By CharlAs
Dickens, London, tWenty-hfth October,
An extra Illustrated sPIokwick,' now
In the United States, contains this curious
adv ertisement cut from an English news
paper OF the year i7l7: 'To be lett at
PlokWiok, 90. Willis, late In the possession
OF Mr.. Diokenson, a good dwelling House.
Brownies original drawing OF the trial
In this country. This drawing, which
brou ght ESQ at London sale last year, is
the one actually used for the plate. Of the
celebrated scene wherein the eloquent
Buztuz ls depicted denouncing Mr. Pick
wick for his -systematio vlllainy.' "PhiE's'
first treatment Of the subject did not meet
with the novelists approval, and az the
suggestion Of the latter certain notifications
were made In the second drawing, the
present one, which meausres 6k by bH
inches.
The unique Seymour item, which cost
Augusth DAILY over q, 800 and realized 81 100
at his sale In 1900 is owned In this city.
The volume contains Mrs. SeymOur's copy
Of her scarce pamphlet, AN Account Of the
Origin Of the PiokwiCk Papers long
letter In which she details the circumstances
under which her husband executed his
1PiCkwiok' Illustrations, four Of the original
drawings and Dickenss letter TO the artist
In relation 70 the illustrations.
Another New York collector owns the
well known Buss item, which brought 500
at the DAILY sale. The latter contains Robert
W, Buss & autographic account OF his griev-
ance against Chapman a Hall in regard to
his and Seymour's connection with the
'Pickwick' Illustrations. Il h Illustrated
with BUSES rejected -Pickwick' drawings,
UrnN NTi a laFnn
Of pen and ink sketches by Buss &c.
A remarkably fine Dickens collection is
owned by @. y. Mems, the former president
Of the Boston and Maine Railroad. Mr..
Mems was the purchaser o. the choice
copy OF the earliest issue Of IPiokwick
Papers, which brought S755, the record
price, at the George NJ. Williamson sale
held in this city on January 80 and 81 last
II was in the original twenty numbers,
and nearly every part was the first issue,
Twenty years ago 'PiCkWick' in origi-
nal parts was valued at about R20, In 1890
and 1894 Gsi IS, and e9l were paid for fine
copies. The Wright sale In 1899 contained
two splendid examples in parts, one being
the presentation copy, which was bought
for Harry b. Smith at el05, the second one,
in equally fine condition but without asso-
citation interest, bringing GS5.
The latter was secured by a London dealer,
VINO lmneulhtely pTlCeu ~ AZ lou Buln6db'
The same dealer gave Ei42 in May, 1908.
for William Kemeys Harts copy, which
lacked the advertisements in the first, sec
ond and fourth parts, but was otherwise In
perfect condition. The latter valuation
remained the record auction price until
the recent Williamson sale.
The chief points Of fine 'Pickwick' in
parts are these: The first two parts, dated
1896. should bear Seymour's name on the
front covers, thus with four Illustrations
by Seymour The first part should also
contain the rare announcement OF the
Papers
The front cover OF the third part should
read: with Illustrations by Buss.' Sey-
mour committed suicide soon after Pick
wick' started. The earliest issue OF Part
should have an advertisement Of Sunday
under Three Heads The rare ADDRESSED
by Dickens should also be in Parts 2 3.
10 and Is.
The plates throughout should be the
first issue, and those by 4Phiz' in Part
should be signed Memo" A few copies
have all the covers dated 1899. The MEMS
Williamson copy. the G142 copy just mem
toned, and BURGESS are so dated through
out.