DICKENS (CHARLES, EDITOR) The Pic Nic Papers. By Various Hands, 3 vol., FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE, Henry Colburn, 1841DICKENS (CHARLES, EDITOR)The Pic Nic Papers. By Various Hands, 3 vol., FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE, with the error "publisher young" in Dickens's "Introduction" [p. iii], volume one printed by Cox and Son, volume two by G.J. Palmer, and volume three by Whiting, engraved frontispieces and 11 plates by George Cruikshank, Hablot K. Browne ("Phiz"), and Robert Jacob Hamerton, 2pp. publisher's advertisements at beginning, and 8pp. publisher's catalogue (dated May 1841) at end of volume 1, 2pp. of advertisements at end of volume 3, occasional light toning, one gathering (H) slightly loose in volume 2, some browning to margins of plates (a couple loose), uncut in publisher's green fine ribbed blind-stamped cloth, gilt lettered on spine, spines slightly faded with ends turned and slightly worn, upper hinge of volume one slightly starting, preserved in morocco-backed solander box [Eckel, p.143ff; Gimbel B109], 8vo, Henry Colburn, 1841An attractive set, uncut in the original cloth. In addition to the introduction Dickens contributed The Lamplighter's Story (a revision of his unacted farce The Lamplighter) and edited volumes one and two. The 300 proceeds from sales were given to the widow of John Macrone, Dickens' estranged publisher of Sketches by Boz.Provenance: J. Faulkner Whitfield, early ownership inscription and library mark on front paste-down of each volume; Comte Alain de Suzannet, bookplate; his sale, Sotheby's, 22 November 1971, lot 53; Kenyon Starling, bookplate; Christie's New York, The William E. Self Family Collection Part I The Kenyon Starling Library of Charles Dickens, 2 April 2008, lot 69.