Great Expectations — Charles Dickens — 1862 Gardner A. Fuller Edition (Unauthorized American Issue) — Very Good
 
This is a very good and increasingly scarce example of the 1862 Gardner A. Fuller edition of Great Expectations, one of the earliest—and most intriguing—unauthorized American printings of Dickens’s classic novel. Issued at a time when the United States did not recognize British copyrights, publishers like Fuller rushed to bring Dickens to American readers, creating a vibrant (and legally gray) parallel publishing market.This copy represents Fuller’s second issue, with 1862 on the title page and the designation “Thirtieth‑Thousand.”
 
Bibliographic Details
Publisher: Gardner A. Fuller, Boston
Year: 1862
Format: Single‑volume octavo (8vo.)
Pagination: 312 pages
Illustrations: Four steel engravings, including the frontispiece by F. O. Freeman after A. J. Kipps
 
Condition
Handsomely rebound with a new calf leather spine, gilt‑stamped title, and refreshed endpapers
Original marbled boards show rubbing; corner tips bumped and worn
Light edgewear; slight lean to the spine
Interior clean, and unmarked, with gentle toning typical of the period
All four engravings present and crisp
 
Historical Note
Fuller included in this volume a series of several letters from late 1861 and early 1862 documenting his attempt to obtain Dickens’s authorization—an effort Dickens rebuffed by refusing to name a price. While not a “first edition” in the strict literary sense, this pirated American issue is prized for its fine steel engravings, its bibliographic significance, and its place in the competitive scramble to capitalize on Dickens’s immense popularity.
 
A compelling piece for collectors of 19th‑century American Dickensiana, unauthorized editions, and early illustrated printings.