The Pic Nic Papers
By: by various hands ; edited by Charles Dickens ; with illustrations by George Cruikshank, Phiz, &c
Contributors: Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870.; Neal, Joseph C. 1807-1847; Cruikshank, George, 1792-1878; Browne, Hablot Knight, 1815-1882; Hamerton, Robert Jacob
Publisher: H. Colburn
Published: 1841
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 14
Subjects: English prose literature -- 19th century
Description: Primarily short stories, with some essays, poems, and short dramatic pieces. A collection published to raise funds for the widow and children of John Macrone, who had been the publisher of Dickens's first book.
Notes: Dickens "wrote the introduction, rewrote his unacted farce, 'The lamplighter,' altering the name to 'The lamplighter's story', edited the balance of the book excepting the third volume", made up by Colburn for trade purposes from Charcoal sketches by J.C. Neal of Philadelphia. "George Cruikshank made two and Phiz six of the etchings. The six illustrations in the last volume were by R.J. Hamerton." Cf. J.C. Eckel, The first editions of Charles Dickens (1932 ed.) p. 143-145

"The lamplighter's story", by Dickens: v. 1, p. [1]-32

Volumes 1 and 3 exist in two impressions: v. 1 printed by Cox and Son in one impression, by G.J. Palmer in another; v. 3 printed by Palmer in one impression, by Whiting in another. Eckel believes that Palmer made the first impression of v. 1 and Cox the second, but J.B. Podeschi's Dickens & Dickensiana, p. 172-173 states that it is more likely that Cox printed the first impression

Line 4 of p. [iii] in v. 1 exists in two states: in one state, the line ends "publisher young in"; in another state, the line ends "young publisher in."

First gathering of v. 3 is known to exist in two states: in one state it consists of two leaves, the second of which has the v. 3 contents; in another state it consists of only one leaf which has the v. 3 contents on verso above the printer's imprint

Podeschi, J.B.  Dickens & Dickensiana, B109

Carr, L.  VanderPoel Dickens, B604

Special Collections' v. 1 printed by G.J. Palmer; v. 3, p. [iii] reads "young publisher in" and has contents note on verso above printer's imprint