1912 The Cricket on the Hearth by Charles Dickens - Illustrated Antique Book

This lovely antique book is a "Pears" Centenary Edition" of Charles Dickens Christmas books, published in 1912 to commemorate the centenary of Dickens' birth in 1812. With a very attractive binding and twenty-two monochrome illustrations by Charles Green (see photos). This version also has super decorative vintage Pears soap adverts on the boards and endpapers. Condition and more details below.

The Cricket on the Hearth: A Fairy Tale of Home, was published by Bradbury and Evans, and released 20 December 1845. Like all of Dickens's Christmas books, it was published in book form, not as a serial. It is the third of Dickens's five Christmas books, preceded by A Christmas Carol (1843) and The Chimes (1844), and followed by The Battle of Life (1846) and The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain (1848).

Inside the pages are clean and tightly bound, with just the occasional blemish mark. Tanning and spotting to the endpapers, and spotting also to the closed edges. Has a few folded corners. With an inked inscription, dated "Christmas 1945" to the top of the title page, but no other writing or markings of previous ownership.

The olive-green cloth backed boards are wonderfully evocative. With "Pears" portrait paste down in the centre, black decorative border and gilt titles. With some rubbing and a light bumping around the outside edges and spine ends - but nothing too obtrusive (see photos).

A delightful edition. Your antique copy of The Cricket on the Hearth will be wrapped with care in tissue and ribbon* and sent well packaged. I am always happy to add a gift message to the parcel if desired.

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H 21.5 cm x W 16.5 cm, pp. 140 pages, plus adverts, 0.44 kg. I dispatch worldwide daily from the UK. (With the exception of a small number of countries).

* If you would prefer your book not to be decoratively wrapped but sent simply in the full protective packaging please add a note to the order.

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