Beschreibung:

Austen (Jane) The Novels, 2 vol., first American collected edition, [one of 1500 copies], printed in double column, a little browned, occasional spotting, marginal water-stain at beginning of vol.1, advertisement leaf at beginning of vol.1 and 2 at end of vol.2, contemporary half calf over marbled boards, rubbed, modern cloth drop-back box, [Gilson E1], 8vo, Philadelphia, Carey, Lea & Blanchard, 1838. ⁂ The second American edition of Austen's novels, but first collected. Each novel was issued individually by Carey & Lea (later Carey, Lea & Blanchard) from 1832-33, pre-dating the reissue of the novels in England by Richard Bentley in his Standard Novels series. An article in The Book Collector by Richard Healey, published a couple of years ago, argues that the copy described in Gilson's entry E1, the two volumes bound in 1 in "elegant embossed cloth" is in fact erroneous and never existed, but that this two-volume edition is the correct first American collected edition. For Jane Austen see also lots 302, 315 and 319