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"What the?!", “Twopence-halfpenny” says the landlord “is the price of the Genuine Stunning ale.”, There was a beggar in the street- when I went down; and as I turned my head towards the window- thinking of her calm seraphic eyes- he made me start by muttering- as if he, were an echo of the morning: ‘Blind! Blind! Blind!’
This is a copy of ‘David Copperfield’ by Charles Dickens. It’s age I am not sure of as there’s few indicators beyond a hand written piece that says – ‘Eunice. L. Jones (I may be wrong there), Aug 1941, …I cannot work out the other two words. However, the paper used,m the etchings within and general feel of the book puts it firmly within the 1800’s to my mind. I do not think it a first edition mind you, as the preface speaks of a ‘original Preface to this book’.
I cannot find another like it upon the web, so if anyone else out there can shed some light on it, please do let me know. It has a signature by Charles Dickens, but I suspect it is a printed signature, yet can find no others that have the same. It is certainly printed upon the front cover, in gold, and there is a ‘stamp’ celebrating his works which may have been stuck in place after the book had been printed, as it has the dates 1812 – 1912 printed upon it. Perhaps it is a 1912 edition, but it most definitely feels older to the touch, (the paper is lovely and thick), and I have handled many, many old tomes in my time within the Cloud’s library.
I have photographed all the etchings within the book for your perusal as well as the cover and handwriting, and here is a link to a post I came across whilst looking into the book online which goes into some great detail re its contents – Re-reading Dickens: David Copperfield and it is from the blog – That’s How The Light Gets In which looks like an interesting read generally.
Esme's Cloud 
It looks to be an anniversary edition marking one hundred years since Dickens’ birth. You might have a book of great value. Contact Ken Sanders and here’s a link –
http://www.kensandersbooks.com/shop/rarebooks/index.html
Ken is the consummate professional and one very nice man.
Good luck and hold tight to your tome.
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How very kind of you donzo, I shall do just that. I have so many old books, and have collected them for their age, and contents rather than value I must admit. A lot of them are in awful condition, as they were ones people were throwing away that I rescued. I’ve read almost all of them too. Thank you for that big smiles aimed his way.
sonmi holding tight upon the Cloud
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A collector’s item, for sure.
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I guess it is. I am a collector, just one who collects for the joy of reading rather than value. Preservation too. So many old books are no more, deemed to be of no value at all if no money can be made from them. The words, the contents are so very precious in themselves.
sonmi smiling upon the Cloud
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This is gorgeous. Especially the bit about pleasure and regret ‘ the achievement of long design- regret in the separation from many companions’.
I can smell this book, somehow.
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Those lines were exactly why I included that page Jess – I tend to pick out a passage with some melodious prose in there. You found it first, well done my dear smiles and flicks slowly through the old soft pages so she can have another sniff of the tome in question – which does indeed have a lovely ‘ye olde booke’ smell to it
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Wonderfully smelly sonmi 😀
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That sounds like sonmi is stink-um poo-um herself. Luckily I know your language well, and so shall not release the hounds. winks and laughs.
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The Language of The Smelly Sound, a language so rich in smelliness, sounds simply drown 🙂
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I love the illustartions in the Dickens books, and in classics in general. It seems to be a thing that died out for many decades but I’ve noticed a few new literary novels with illustrations recently – a trend I hope continues.
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Ooo me too. Illustrations can be a wonderful thing in a novel, and poetry books too. Should the Cloud produce one at some point, it shall be illustrated I think. My degree, (many, many moons ago), was in printmaking, and I loved creating etchings – the process itself is quite fascinating, akin to developing your own photographs in a dark room I found. I have no access to the equipment these days, so they would be hand drawn more than likely.
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Oh, I like it. I do, very much, in fact, I would, given the opportunity, if the circumstances permitted, steal it from you, and later when told of the thiievery, look quite shocked at the thought of such roguish behavio(u)r, of it existing in this world, such utter evil (running roughshod) that is, festering even, out there, which would allow for someone to even contemplate such an act! And you’d nod your head in agreement while I perused the surroundings for more prizes.
The President and Founder
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I must stop all the nodding clearly makes a note of this whilst nodding furiously. Not that I would blame you Prezzy, for it is a lovely item, and I know how keen you are on Dickens, what with his philippic goings and comings and general air of literary furbelow, added to the vast amount of strange and unusual gimcracks, doodads and frou-frou around this joint (a bit of ‘mericky for ya there sir, yee-ha etc).
I say I wouldn’t blame you, but having a sworn statement, (not exactly sworn but you do get pretty profane of an afternoon to be fair), from you above means all I’d need do is call officer dibble, Top Cat and Bennie the Ball and present the evidence with a picture of your face. That’d be more than enough to get you sent to gaol for many a year. Not that I would, as you have a stool upon the Cloud, so therefore will always have a ‘get me out of gaol‘ (not some woman called Gail to be clear, what you do in your spare time is no business of the Cloud) card so long as no attempted murder takes place within the known or unknown universe. Or successful one now I come to think of it. Also, don’t eat okra, it’s really horrible.
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what a great find! and I love that you collect books for the value they are to you>>>
“collected them for their age, and contents”
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Why thank you prior, it is indeed. The very feel of very old books is a treat and that’s before they’re even opened I find. Such fragile things too when you think about it, yet turning that upon it’s head – stronger than any digital copy could be. smiles
Welcome to the Cloud.
sonmi upon the Cloud
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thanks for the welcome to your could – you seem like an interesting person. and I have a few old books- even though I do not want to keep very many – just a few. I also was wondering if you have heard anything about book mites living on old books?
I read somewhere about this happening to some old books – but have not had the chance to investigate it more – anyhow, on some recent old books I bought down in FL – well I dusted them with some DE (diatomaceous earth) just in case.
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“you seem like an interesting person” – why thank you, that has to be among my favourite of compliments, so long as it’s never in a circus side-show sense laughs.
I’ve been lucky re the book mites, only ever found two cases and I took the particular book, and a few surrounding it, out into the garden and used a medium stiffness artist’s brush to ferret them out then left them blowing in the sun. They go for the glue on the spines usually. It’s very dry and warm in here, so that helps too as they prefer slightly damper conditions I’m told and hate the warmth or the sun. Having lavender around in bunches helps keep them away too. Luckily I grow quite a lot of it.
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thanks for sharing that about book mites. and so you grow lots of lavender? how cool – I have the essential oil – and usually buy a potted plant of it each year – but would like to grow more.
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Oh yes, I’m wild about…well wild lavender I suppose. I use many essential oils too. Lavender in the bath ( either the oil, or fresh lavender placed within the cut off foot of a pair of tights/stocking and tied to cover the hot tap as it pours), is one of the only things I have ever found to work on joint pain/arthritic/muscles aches too. When I was younger I found the smell garish, but as I grew older (sonmi is as old as the hills of Mars), I found I loved it. Then again, I was much the same with the smell of petrol, so how much that means I don’t know laughs.
sonmi upon the Cloud
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ha- you are so funny. old as the hills of mars – bah!
And one thing I do with the older lavender stems and blooms – well I bring them indoors and put them in a little dish or on a decorative plate – and let them dry and add some of that healing aroma naturally (and I might add a splash of essential oil mixtures)
oh – I like the stocking idea – and heard cheesecloth works too – 🙂
and you know – i have learned how to garden over the last ten years – but the two things I have a difficult time growing is lavender and parsley. hmm
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(sonmi holds up a photograph of the hills of mars from her holiday four years ago – she’s stood on the Cloud with a small bucket and spade in hand)
I can’t bear Parsley, thought it is Coriander that fails to grow for me. smiles
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smiles back – and wish you a great day 🙂 ❤
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