Bentley's Miscellany, Volumes I, II, & III, 1837-1838

Item Details

London, Richard Bentley, 1837-1838, Hardcover

Very Good

Three volumes uniformly bound in three-quarter black leather and purple pebbled cloth; spines with raised bands and gilt rules; yellow coated endpapers, top edges gilt. All in very good or better condition, with some scuffing to the leather, especially at the corners. Text block measures 9 1/16 x 5 1/2 inches. Volume I contains 16 illustrations (1 in text, the others full-page plates, 8 by Cruikshank) as called for in the list of illustrations, although many are inserted pages other than those indicated. Volume II contains 12 plates (13 are called for in the list of illustrations), of which 11 are by Cruikshank. Volume III contains all 12 plates called for, all of which are by Cruikshank. Each volume includes an index. "Bentley's Miscellany was a general interest magazine, issued monthly from January 1837 until 1868. Charles Dickens was its first editor....
Magazines like Bentley's Miscellany were prevalent in 19th-century Britain, usually presenting a mix of stories, poetry, drollery, gossip, and political discourse. At the end of each year, the monthly parts were made available bound in one volume, with a general title page and alphabetical index listing the contents for the entire year. Because of disagreements with Richard Bentley, Dickens resigned his position as editor in February 1839" (Smith College Special Collections). Oliver Twist was first published serially in Bentley's Miscellany, appearing in 24 parts between February 1837 and April 1839. This set includes the first 15 parts.