Pears' Centenary Edition of Charles Dickens' Christmas Books

London: A & F Pears, 1912. 1st thus . Hardcover. Very Good. Lovely set of all five Christmas books, published by the Pears Soap Company in honour of Dickens' centenary. The first four titles, variously, have twenty-seven illustrations (A Christmas Carol), thirty illustrations (The Chimes and The Haunted Man), and twenty-nine illustrations (The Battle of Life), all from original drawings by Charles Green. The fifth title, The Cricket on the Hearth, has twenty-two illustrations from original drawings by L. Rossi. All volumes are bound in attractive coloured cloth (variously red, blue, light brown, moss green, light green) with gilt lettering. Front covers feature a uniform cameo of an angelic, beautifully dressed young boy with a lovely complexion, doubtless due to regular use of Pears. Advertisements for Pears soap on final pages. End-papers bear elaborate Pears trademark and logo with prominent mention, "By Appointment to Their Majesties The King & Queen". A lovely set with the following minor flaws: A Christmas Carol: Very Good with rear inner hinge starting to go and minor foxing to outer pages. The Chimes: Near Fine to Fine. The Haunted Man: Near Fine with insignificant foxing to outer pages. The Battle of Life: Very Good with overall minor fading. The Cricket on the Hearth: Very Good with rubbing to gilt on the word "books" on the front cover, and to the letters C in Charles and P in Pears. The front inner hinge is starting to go and there is minor foxing to outer pages. It is difficult to find these books as a set and in such generally excellent condition. Introduction by Clement Shorter.