The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit.

London: Chapman and Hall,, 1844. Publisher's deluxe binding First edition in book form, in the publisher's full morocco binding, the most deluxe of the three original binding options offered by the publisher, and very scarce. Martin Chuzzlewit was initially issued in monthly parts from December 1842 to July 1844, and in book form on completion. In an advertisement in the final monthly part, the publishers announced that it could be purchased in three formats: in cloth for £1 1s., in half morocco with marbled edges for £1 4s. 6d., and in full morocco with gilt edges for £1 6s. 6d. This full morocco binding is much scarcer than copies in the original cloth, which are themselves by no means common. This is the first copy of this novel in the full morocco binding that we have handled. The early owner of this copy, Howell Blood, whose signature, dated 1862, appears on a preliminary blank, was typical of the customer Chapman and Hall was targeting with their offer of deluxe, full morocco binding - the upwardly-mobile middle class, with pretensions to have the "best looking" copies of Britain's newest literary sensation. "The sons of small farmers, retail traders and small masters... were now benefiting from the reformed grammar schools and recently founded academies. A first generation Witham solicitor, Joseph Howell Blood, was clerk to the powerful attorney Jacob Howell Pattisson, related through his mother's side. By the 1840s, Blood had become clerk of the workhouse, clerk of the JP's bench and chairman of the Board of Guardians, the kind of post that would not have existed in the eighteenth century. By the 1850s he had set up his own legal practice in the town, later joined by his eldest son" (Davidoff & Hall, p. 265). The ownership signature may be that of either Joseph Howell (1806-1876), or his son, Howell (1837-1911), who was educated at Rugby and became a clergyman. Chapman and Hall continued to issue first edition sheets for many years after publication, binding up copies from their stock as required, including in this deluxe format. There are many variations between the morocco bindings of Dickens's novels, variations which have not yet been subject to a sustained bibliographical study identifying priority - the marbled endpapers and gilt turn-ins here are indicative of binding in the 1850s. Martin Chuzzlewit is placed by Dickens's biographer Peter Ackroyd as marking "a great change in Dickens's conception of moral characteristics... For the first time Dickens begins to explore the contradictions and difficulties of the contemporary human world; these are no longer figures defined by a single characteristic or animated by the wilful principle of a 'humour', but ones who are seen to change with the changing world, to live and grow" (Ackroyd, p. 392). Dickens wrote to John Forster on 2 November 1843 that "I think Chuzzlewit is a hundred points immeasurably the best of my stories" (Pilgrim, Letters, III, pp. 590). Octavo (211 x 132 mm). Original purple pebble-grain morocco, spine lettered in gilt, spine bands and covers ruled in blind, gilt floral turn-ins, marbled endpapers, gilt edges. Engraved frontispiece and vignette title page (£ sign not transposed, no priority), 38 plates, by Hablot Knight Browne (Phiz). Bound without half-title. With ink ownership signature of "Howell Blood, Witham 1862" to initial binder's blank, and his pencil ownership signature to facing binder's blank (see note). Slight splits and wear at head of joints but holding firm, offsetting to preliminaries, plates browned as often, early gatherings and first plate somewhat soiled with a few peripheral nicks and chips, letterpress leaves afterwards clean, small patch of tape repair in gutter of p. 32, 6 cm closed tear affecting text without loss to pp. 461/2, 3 cm closed tear not affecting text to pp. 603/4. A good copy. Kremers pp. 79-82, 288; Smith I.7. Peter Ackroyd, Dickens, 1990; Leonore Davidoff & Catherine Hall, Family Fortunes Men and Women of the English Middle Class 1780-1850, 2013.