Dickens in Cartoon and Caricature 1924 Ltd Ed

📖 Dickens in Cartoon and Caricature by William Glyde Wilkins, edited by B. W. Matz (1924, The Bibliophile Society, Boston) — a limited scholarly compilation of Victorian-era caricatures and satirical cartoons depicting Charles Dickens, drawn from periodicals like Fun and The Period. This copy is one of just 440 printed for members only.

QUICK FACTS

• Compiler: William Glyde Wilkins (1854–1921), Dickens scholar; completed posthumously by editor
• Editor: B. W. Matz (1865–1925), founding editor of The Dickensian journal
• Publisher: The Bibliophile Society, Boston
• Year: 1924 (MCMXXIV) — limited to 440 copies, printed for members only
• Format: Hardcover in brown paper-wrapped boards with leather spine
• Pages: 241 | Size: 24 cm | ISBN: None (pre-ISBN era)
• Condition: Full report below

THE STORY

Charles Dickens was one of the most depicted figures of the Victorian age — not just in his own novels, but in the satirical press that flourished alongside them. This volume collects caricatures, cartoons, and satirical engravings of Dickens from Victorian periodicals, showing how contemporaries saw the great novelist: as a public figure, a social crusader, and occasionally a target of the very humor he championed.

The illustrations are sourced from publications including Fun (London), The Period (London), and other Victorian-era magazines. Artists include Thomas Nast, the renowned American political cartoonist, and Alfred Thompson, among others. Each plate is captioned with its original publication source and date, making this both an art book and a primary-source reference for Dickens scholars.

THIS EDITION

Compiled by William Glyde Wilkins, a Dickens scholar who also authored Charles Dickens in America (1911), the work was completed after his death in 1921 by B. W. Matz — founding editor of The Dickensian and a leading figure in the Dickens Fellowship. Matz himself died in 1925, just a year after this volume appeared, making it a posthumous collaboration between two of the early twentieth century’s foremost Dickens authorities.

Published by The Bibliophile Society of Boston, a private literary society known for high-quality limited editions, this copy is one of the 440 printed exclusively for members. The Society’s Latin motto — Eximium Opus Eximie Ornetur (“An excellent work adorns excellently”) — appears on the limitation page alongside their distinctive book-and-lectern emblem.

COVER ART / ILLUSTRATIONS / DESIGN

The binding features brown paper-wrapped boards with a dark leather spine stamped in gold: “DICKENS IN CARTOON AND CARICATURE” with “THE BIBLIOPHILE SOCIETY” below. The upper page edge is gilt; the outer and lower edges are deckled. The title page is printed in red and black ink with the Bibliophile Society seal. Inside, the frontispiece is a daguerreotype portrait of Dickens from circa 1855, photographed by Mayall. The volume contains over 30 numbered plates, including Thomas Nast’s satirical engraving of Dickens and a tinted Alfred Thompson engraving from The Period depicting “Our Mutual Friend” imagery.

WHY IT MATTERS

• Cataloged by the Library of Congress (PR4577 .W5 1924) — institutional recognition of scholarly value
• Digitized by the Internet Archive from the Library of Congress copy, confirming its reference importance
• Compiled and edited by two leading Dickens scholars, both of whom died shortly after publication — a rare posthumous collaboration
• One of only 440 copies, printed exclusively for members of a prestigious Boston literary society

FREQUENTLY ASKED

What edition is this? First and only edition, published 1924 by The Bibliophile Society of Boston. Limited to 440 copies for members only. Pre-ISBN era.

What condition is it in? Very good. Internals bright and crisp; gilt upper edge intact. Leather spine shows wear at edges with head frayed. Back lower corner bumped and frayed. No jacket as issued.

Is this a book about Dickens’ novels? No — it is a visual compilation of how Dickens himself was depicted in Victorian satirical press. The caricatures show Dickens as a public figure, not illustrations from his fiction.

FOR COLLECTORS

The combination of limited Bibliophile Society provenance, dual-scholar compilation, Library of Congress cataloging, and Internet Archive digitization makes this a documented, reference-grade copy. The leather-spine binding with gold stamping is typical of the Society’s production quality. This is not a common antiquarian title — the 440-copy print run and private society distribution mean copies rarely appear on the market.

This is a “very good” antique book in brown paper wrapped boards with leather spine. No torn, folded, loose or significantly creased pages unless specified below. NOT ex-library. Will not contain writing (aside from possible original owner name in front), underlining or highlighting unless called out below in item specifics. Dust jacket included if shown in images and issued with one, unless noted.

You will receive the book shown in the accompanying images.

See accompanying images for full condition details.

Limited edition of just 440 copies for members of the Bibliophile Society of Boston.

ITEM SPECIFICS:
No writing. Text block closes tightly, is square and uniformly bright all around. Gilt upper edge, deckled outer and lower. Leather on spine is not split, but shows significant wear at edges, front and back, head frayed. Internals are bright and crisp. Upper and front lower board corners are crisp, back lower bumped and frayed. Solid book all around. No jacket as issued.

Will ship promptly, carefully packaged.

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