The Pickwickian Dictionary and Cyclopaedia, Percy Fitzgerald — 1st Edition

£80.00

The Pickwickian Dictionary and Cyclopaedia, Percy Fitzgerald — 1st Edition

Name: The Pickwickian Dictionary and Cyclopaedia, Percy Fitzgerald — 1st Edition
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 5674
Price: 80.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

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Publication: London, Percy Fitzgerald and W. T. Spencer, [1900]

Formatting: 8vo, pp. [viii], 359.

Condition Report: Very Good. The volume remains securely bound in its original dark green publisher's cloth, maintaining a sound, square text block without any leaning. The binding exhibits only minor shelf-wear, primarily consisting of light bumping and rubbing to the spine ends and corners, alongside some faint, superficial scuffing to the boards. The printed paper label to the spine remains entirely legible, though it shows expected age-toning and very slight chipping to its edges. Internally, the pages are clean with standard age-toning to the text block edges. The front free endpaper bears a neat ownership inscription in blue ink reading "Granville Garley. Manchester. April 1938", acting as a straightforward marker of previous ownership. The hinges and joints remain robust and uncracked.

Catalogue Note: This is a scarce first edition of Percy Fitzgerald’s exhaustive reference work on Charles Dickens’s first great success, The Pickwick Papers. Notably, this edition was co-published by the author himself alongside W. T. Spencer, a prominent antiquarian bookseller based in New Oxford Street. This dual-publishing effort suggests a relatively limited print run aimed specifically at the serious Dickensian collector's market of the late Victorian and early Edwardian eras.

The book is presented in what appears to be the primary publisher's binding, characterised by the unadorned dark green cloth and simple paper spine label; a typical scholarly aesthetic of the period. The flyleaf features a straightforward ownership signature from a Granville Garley of Manchester, dated 1938, offering a pleasant marker of the book's pre-war history without overshadowing the text itself.

True first editions of this work are increasingly uncommon on the open market, particularly those that have retained their original spine labels intact and have avoided heavy institutional library wear.

The Pickwickian Dictionary and Cyclopaedia stands as an essential, deeply idiosyncratic companion to Charles Dickens’s most beloved comic masterpiece. Compiled by Percy Fitzgerald, a close friend of Dickens and one of his most fervent early biographers, this exhaustive reference guide meticulously catalogues the myriad characters, obscure locales, vanished coaching inns, and quintessential Victorian allusions scattered throughout The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club. Brimming with Fitzgerald’s lifelong passion for Dickensian lore, it is far more than a simple glossary; it is a charming, immersive portal into the eccentric world of Samuel Pickwick and his loyal valet, Sam Weller.

Book Condition: Very Good

Book Authors: Percy Fitzgerald

Book Publisher: Percy Fitzgerald and W. T. Spencer

Book Language: English

Narrative Type: Non-Fiction

Genre: History

Book edition: First Edition

Signed: No

Book Pages: 359

Book Publication Year: 1900

Book Publication Date:

Book Binding: Hardcover

Illustrator: N/A

Book Series: N/A

Country/region of manufacture: London, United Kingdom

Book Dimensions:

Book Condition Guide

We stock thousands of books in a wide range of conditions. To make things clear and to help you know exactly what to expect, Please refer to these condition categories to understand the condition of the book you will receive.

Condition	Description
New	A brand-new, unread and professionally handled book. Carefully preserved from publication to purchase, these books are offered in the best attainable condition. This grade applies to recently published titles that have not entered long-term storage.
As New	The book is in pristine, original condition as if just published. No signs of use or handling. The dust jacket (if present) is equally flawless. This grade applies to any book that has remained untouched in storage for years.
Fine	The book is close to As New. It remains bright and attractive, but could show minor imperfections to the boards and/or dust jacket (if present). Its pages are typically clean and unmarked.
Near Fine	The book has a number of small flaws, i.e. slight rubbing to the edges, or tiny chips or creases to the dust jacket (if present). Its pages may have faint marks, or creases that are barely perceptible — nothing that detracts from their overall condition.
Very Good	The book maintains its structural integrity, and has no major flaws such as tears to its binding or pages. It may, however, show signs of careful use, handling, or storage — small marks and creases, light foxing. Its dust jacket (if present) remains fully intact, but small tears may be present.
Good	A book that remains intact and readable with complete text pages, but shows moderate signs of wear and use to both the book and dust jacket (if present). It may have noticeable creases, nicks, or stains, and the spine likely shows fading, bumping, and rubbing. There could be writing, underlining, and other marks on some pages, though the majority will be clean and tidy.
Fair	A book with significant wear or damage. The text pages will be complete, but there may be heavy underlining, highlighting and staining throughout, and the book’s endpapers, half-title, and copyright pages could be damaged or missing. The binding could be loose, and the dust jacket (if present) may have notable scuffs or tears. These copies are usually of interest for content, signature(s) or scarcity.
Poor	A heavily worn book whose value lies in its complete and legible text. A poor book will have substantial defects — loose joints or hinges, detached covers, loose and/or missing pages, and could be heavily soiled. A poor book is also known as a reading copy, and although compromised, can hold historical or bibliographic significance.