Charles Dickens Works

Charles Dickens — Christmas Stories & Little Dorrit

Matching A. L. Burt Illustrated Editions | Early 20th Century

A handsome matching pair of Charles Dickens volumes published in New York by the A. L. Burt Company, dating to the early decades of the twentieth century. Bound uniformly in deep red cloth, both volumes feature wonderfully decorative gilt spines with ornate period flourishes surrounding the author's name.

The pair includes Christmas Stories and Little Dorrit. Of particular interest, Christmas Stories contains Dickens's beloved A Christmas Carol, beginning with the familiar "Marley was dead, to begin with," along with The Cricket on the Hearth and other Christmas writings. The volume is illustrated with black-and-white plates, including a striking frontispiece depicting Ebenezer Scrooge.

Little Dorrit is likewise illustrated and retains the same attractive publisher's binding, making the two volumes particularly appealing displayed together.

Neither volume bears a publication date. Based on the publisher, typography, binding style, and production, the pair is best described as early twentieth century, circa 1910–1920.

Very Good overall. The original red cloth bindings remain sound and attractive, with particularly nice preservation of the elaborate gilt spine decoration and lettering. There is moderate age-related rubbing and fading to the cloth, along with minor wear at the spine ends and corners.