Sketches of Young Couples;

London: Chapman and Hall,, 1840. From the library of a famous Dickens bibliographer First edition, the copy of the bibliographer Walter Smith, photographed and described in his bibliography of Dickens, and inscribed on the front free endpaper in pencil "purchased from Harry Levinson Walter E. Smith". The book is "a collection of eleven sketches plus an 'urgent remonstrance' and a conclusion, archly ridiculing contemporary types, in response to the announcement by Queen Victoria of her intention to marry Prince Albert... the sketches were not collected in any edition of Dickens's works during his lifetime" (Schlicke, p. 546). It was the final in a series of sketches - Sketches of Young Ladies was published by Edward Caswell in 1837, which Dickens followed with Sketches of Young Gentlemen in 1838. Octavo. Original green boards printed in black, plainly rebacked to style. Elaborate black quarter morocco box with floral cloth sides and interior. With 6 steel engravings by Hablot Knight Browne (Phiz). Recent bookplate of collector Peter Russell mounted to inside cover of box. Slight superficial cracking to joints, plates a little foxed. A very good copy. Eckel, p. 106; Smith, II, 2. Paul Schlicke, ed., The Oxford Companion to Charles Dickens, 2011.