DICKENS (CHARLES) Sketches by Boz, Illustrative of Every-day Life, and Every-day People... Illustrations by George Cruikshank, First Series and Second Series, together 3 vol., FIRST EDITIONS, John Macrone, 1836-1837[DICKENS (CHARLES)]Sketches by "Boz", Illustrative of Every-day Life, and Every-day People... Illustrations by George Cruikshank, [First Series] and Second Series, together 3 vol., FIRST EDITIONS, Second Series first issue without the list of plates on contents leaf, the first series with 16 etched plates, the second with 10, all by George Cruikshank, 20pp. of advertisements dated December 1836 at the end of the second series, occasional slight spotting, light off-setting onto titles, the first series publisher's dark-green weave-green cloth, spine gilt with title and illustrator within decorative shield-shaped design with pendant attached, cream-yellow endpaper, lower joint of each volume neatly repaired; the second series in publisher's salmon bead impressed cloth, covers stamped in blind with central wreath and outer three-lined border, the spine with panels and circular designs, lettered in gilt with title and publisher's imprint, yellow endpapers, rebacked preserving original spine preserved together in red morocco-backed solander box [Eckel, pp.11-13; Gimbel A1 & A4; Sadleir 699 & 700; Smith I:2], 8vo, John Macrone, 1836-1837FIRST EDITIONS OF THE FIRST WORKS BY DICKENS TO APPEAR IN BOOK FORM. The Second Series is the earlier, rarer issued without the list of plates provided on p.x, and with "Vol III" still present on each of the engraved plates apart from "Vauxhall Gardens" and the additional title. Eckel notes that "It is an irrefutable fact that the book first published by an author who subsequently attained great eminence is the most difficult acquirement in good condition. This is acutely true of Dickens' first book".Provenance: First Series, Anna Corbert, ink signature dated 1837 on front free endpaper of each volume; Sotheby's, 16 December 2004, lot 124.