Vanity Fair.

A first edition of Thackeray's seminal novel, Vanity Fair. The story follows the life of Becky Sharp amid her friends and family in the early 19th Century. It widely heralded as a pillar of the satirical genre, a popular form of the era.

All but one of the first issue points present, with the suppressed woodcut of the Marquis of Steyne on p.336, with 'Mr. Pitt for 'Sir Pitt' on p.453 and the rustic heading on p.1. However the preliminary advertisement leaf has been removed when rebound therefore the final issue point is not present.

First edition, first issue; Royal 8vo (21 x 14.5 cm); frontispiece and 38 steel engraved plates with a further 150 woodcut illustrations within text, some light spotting throughout (as usual with age), primarily to endpapers, plates and leaves at front and rear though none affecting clearness or quality, occasional mark or smudge throughout, primarily marginal and none affecting legibility of text, otherwise a very good first edition; finely-bound by Bayntun Riviere, modern tan calfskin with two-line gilt-panelled border, spine in 6 compartments, red morocco lettering piece to second with gilt text, ornate gilt decoration to others, gilt ribs, marble endpapers, gilt dentelles, 1902 bookplate to front pastedown denoting Robert Hall as provenance, all edges gilt, light offsetting to endpapers, some general light signs of age to extremities, spine slightly faded and joints slightly worn, else very good; [xvi], 624pp.