Monster Parties and why there are only 877 of the Nonesuch Dickens
Since I couldn’t afford the set, I settled for and bought RETROSPECTUS AND PROSPECTUS, THE NONESUCH DICKENS here
recently. I wanted to learn more about the plates that were given away to subscribers. Here’s what I found:
Its many volumes are embellished with eight hundred illustrations made under the supervision of Charles Dickens himself and carefully printed from the original plates and blocks. All of these will unquestionably make the Nonesuch Dickens the most complete and the most beautiful edition of the present. But it is clearly certain that the Nonesuch Dickens will remain the most complete and the most beautiful edition of the future. For, having created for its subscribers ‘an edition of Dickens to end all editions of Dickens,’ the Nonesuch Press will then distribute to each subscriber that most valuable of Dickens treasures, one of the original plates. Of these there are no more than 877 of major importance; and the edition has therefore been limited, not artificially but of necessity, to 877.
It is the hope of the Nonesuch Press that this announcement will cause the blood of many true collectors to tingle in anticipatory possession…
How to determine who gets which plate? The Press hit upon the notion of distribution by lottery. ‘…a monster party will be held in London’ for the 877 subscribers.
Finally: I’ve seen computer programmers call code poetry. This to me is poetry:
“Each volume is bound in linen buckram. The titles are blocked in gold upon black leather labels. But, while the label is black in each instance, the buckram varies in colour throughout the set. The twenty three volumes upon one’s shelf will therefore represent a brave array of reds and yellows and blues and browns, an effect which should prove even more charming than novel. “
You can pick up a copy of RETROSPECTUS AND PROSPECTUS, THE NONESUCH DICKENS for as little as $25 at Oak Knoll Books.