6 volume set of Collier's unabridged Edition The Works of Charles Dickens P F Collier 1 -6. All volumes are complete but do have some loose pages from spine mostly in the beginning of the volume. Look complete. These are fragile editions Not dated but look like the late 1800s. U cixx.
The Works of Charles Dickens (Complete 6-Volume Unabridged Edition)
Author: Charles Dickens
Publisher: P.F. Collier, New York
Date/Edition: Undated (Circa 1880–1890) Late Victorian Printing
Format: Massive Uniform Octavo (8vo) Hardcovers (typically bound in heavily embossed brown or green cloth with gilt-stamped spines and woodcut style illustrations)
Detailed Description
This listing features the complete six-volume "Unabridged Edition" of The Works of Charles Dickens, published in the late 19th century by P.F. Collier. During the late 1800s, Collier specialized in producing large-format, heavy-canvas volume libraries to bring complete literary masterpieces into the homes of the growing American middle class.
This massive uniform set collects Dickens’ full legendary catalog—encompassing A Tale of Two Cities, David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, Bleak House, and his beloved Christmas stories—complete with early text illustrations. Because these volumes were printed using standard late-Victorian paper stock and heavy bindings, they are famously fragile artifacts. This set presents an impressive, classic antique look on a bookshelf and is ideal for collectors of Victorian literature, set restoration projects, or premium shelf-display styling.
Condition Report
Overall Presentation: Mixed antique condition. A visually beautiful but structurally delicate reading/display set (priced accordingly).
Exteriors: The cloth boards show honest, dignified Victorian character. The intricate cover stamping and spine gilt remain recognizable with typical edge rubbing, minor cloth fraying at the spine tips, and corner bumping.
Text Blocks: All six volumes are textually complete, but they are fragile and show signs of age.
Notable Defects: Volumes exhibit loose interior pages detached from the spine, primarily clustered at the very beginning of the books (often affecting the title pages, frontispieces, or early chapters). The remaining text blocks remain largely intact but should be handled with care.