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CHARLES DICKENS: THE COLLECTION OF W.H. COLLIS OF LIVERPOOL
Lot 134

[MORFORD (HENRY)]
John Jasper's Secret, FIRST ENGLISH EDITION IN THE ORIGINAL 8 MONTHLY PARTS, October 1871-May 1872

1 December 2021, 12:00 GMT
London, Knightsbridge

Sold for £1,530 inc. premium

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[MORFORD (HENRY)]

John Jasper's Secret: being a Narrative of Certain Events following and explaining "The Mystery of Edwin Drood", FIRST ENGLISH EDITION IN THE ORIGINAL 8 MONTHLY PARTS, 20 wood-engraved plates, advertisements (Wilcox & Gibbs ones missing in parts 4, 5 & 7), some plates and text cut down/smaller, contents of parts 4-7 mostly loose, with loosely inserted correspondence and notes, publisher's blue printed pictorial wrappers (part 5 lacking front cover) [Gimbel H330], 8vo, Wyman & Sons for Publishing Offices, October 1871-May 1872

Footnotes

Rare parts edition of this early unauthorized and anonymous sequel to The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Dickens left no outline for the rest of the story, or clues to a denouement, and various continuations and adaptations appeared. The second of these was attributed to Morford, and was the first serious attempt to solve the mystery.

The present set was sold to Collis by Thomas Hatton, whose letter is included in the lot: "I have a set nearly complete, which I send along for your approval. It wants very little to make it perfect... I always have a deep interest in this book, and it is my intention to include it in the Dickens bibliography... I would accept £5 for the incomplete set, which is, you will agree not out of the way". In his draft reply (also included), Collis thanks Hatton, agrees to the purchase ("I have never seen any of these parts before. Their make up is decidedly queer"), and discusses other books along with a visit to "Mr Cleaver".

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