New Jonkers Rare Books Catalogue Features Nineteenth-Century Literature
Henley-on-Thames, England — Jonkers Rare Books is delighted to announce a new catalogue of rare books devoted to Nineteenth Century Literature. The selection, almost the entirety of which is new to stock and acquired during the the last twelve months of lockdowns and disruptions, includes fine copies of the century’s most important novels and association copies of the most intimate and personal nature.
Highlights Include:
-The incredibly rare first edition of Hans Andersen’s fairy tales, Eventyr, Fortalte For Børn (1837). This is the first time Andersen’s imperishable fairy tales were published in book form, and is one of the century’s most important books. £37,500
-The Appleton edition of Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland (1866), unrepaired in the original cloth. This edition, published in New York from the 1865 Macmillan sheets, is the earliest pratically obtainable issue of the original printing. £37,500.
-A very fine collection of Charles Dickens first editions and inscribed copies; including:
-The first edition of David Copperfield (1850) in the primary binding, consistently the most difficult Dickens novel to find in the original cloth in nice condition. £22,500.
-The first edition of Great Expectations (1861), Dickens’s great Gothic masterpiece, bound in contemporary calf. £45,000.
-The original playbill and a signed ticket for the extravagant evening of amateur dramatics arranged by, and starring, Dickens in 1845. £9,500.
-A fine first edition of Victor Hugo’s Notre Dame De Paris (1831), the ultimate nov- el of Paris, in a fine nineteenth century binding by that city’s finest bookbinder Francisque Cuzin. £45,000.
-The very rare first (and only) edition of Elizabeth Sherwin’s Poems (1851). Sherwin’s only published work, featuring a collection of her poetry and three short works of prose is notably for its protofeminist themes and direct handling of domestic violence in Victorian society. £2,500.
-A presentation copy of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Prince Otto (1885), inscribed by the author for his mother. Robert Louis was very sickly as a child and was doted upon by his mother, and his presentation copies to her are a testament to the most personal and fundamental of influences. £12,500.
- One of just 25 large paper copies of Oscar Wilde’s The Sphinx (1894). The deluxe edition of Wilde’s poem, bound in vellum and printed on handmade paper, is one of the finest pieces of book production of the 1890s. Charles Ricketts’s decoration of the binding, and illustrations internally, are the perfect complement to Wilde’s phantasmagorical lyric poem. £30,000.
The firm’s Tom Ayling, who put together the catalogue, commented: “The difficulty with collecting the great works of nineteenth century literature is finding copies in beautiful condition. These books were invariably devoured by an eager reading public on publication, so fine copies in their original cloth or in early bindings are desperately hard to come by. Over the last year, acquisitions from several private sources have yielded a groundswell of exceedingly nice copies of the some the century’s most sought after works of fiction and verse, so we are very grateful for the opportunity to present them collectively here.”
A digital version of the catalogue is available at this link. Further images and complete descriptions of every book mentioned above and featured in the catalogue are also available on request.
