Memoirs of Joseph Grimaldi. Edited by “Boz.”

DICKENS, Charles.

$750.00

Item Number: 119805

London: G. Routledge & Co, 1853.

Finely bound example of Dickens’ popular retelling of the memoirs of celebrated English clown Joseph Grimaldi. Octavo, bound in full crimson crushed levant morocco by Baytun with morocco spine labels lettered in gilt, gilt titles and tooling to the spin in six compartments within raised gilt bands, double gilt rulings and fleuron cornerpieces to the panels, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt, tissue-guarded frontispiece portrait of Grimaldi, with illustrations by George Cruikshank. From the library of Albert Hooper with his bookplate to the pastedown. In fine condition. An exquisite example.

After the legendary pantomime's death, Dickens was invited by Richard Bentley to edit and improve Thomas Egerton Wilks's clumsily written Life of Grimaldi, which had been based on the clown's own notes, which Dickens did under his regular nom de plume, "Boz". As a child, Dickens saw Grimaldi perform at the Star Theatre, Rochester, in 1820. The Memoirs of Joseph Grimaldi, illustrated by George Cruikshank, sold well, to Dickens's surprise.