13 BAUMAN RARE BOOKS 10DICKENS, Charles. The Personal History... of David Copperfield. London, May 1849 to November 1850. Twenty parts in nineteen. Octavo, original pale bluish-green printed paper wrappers, custom slipcase. $15,000 Scarce first edition in the original parts of Dickens’ “largely autobiographic” masterpiece, with additional vignette title-page, frontispiece and 38 etched plates by Hablot Knight Browne (“Phiz”). An excellent copy in the original wrappers, with most advertisements present. From the library of Danish-American actor and noted bibliophile Jean Hersholt, with his signed bookplate and shelf label. “The first of Dickens’ big books to be written in the first person, and it is looked upon as being largely autobiographic... With many lovers of the great author’s works, David Copperfield ranks as the best of his novels” (Eckel, 75). “It soon became clear that this was his ‘masterpiece’ although, even so, Dickens himself retained a peculiarly private relationship with the novel” (Ackroyd, 606). “With a comparatively small printing, and because the issues in parts were much read and roughly handled, it is a matter of some difficulty to procure fine, clean and unrepaired sets” (Eckel, 76). Danish-American actor and bibliophile Jean Hersholt’s copy, with his signed bookplate and shelf label affixed to the inside of the chemise. Parts I, II and XIX/XX with a few corners repaired, several wrappers with light edge-wear and creasing. Interiors generally clean and fine. An excellent copy in the original wrappers, with a nice provenance. “Whether I Shall Turn Out To Be The Hero Of My Own Life…”: First Edition In Original Parts Of David Copperfield
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