There is now on exhibition in the Widener Room of the Widener Memorial Library a notable collection, of interest to book-lovers, of first editions and autograph manuscripts and letters of Charles Dickens and William Makepeace Thackeray. In the Dickens case are a second issue of the first edition of "Oliver Twist," illustrated by George Cruikshank, a presentation copy of "Pickwick Papers"; original drawings by the author and by Cruikshank for "Oliver Twist," and a contract with Dickens' publishers, Chapman and Hall.
The Thackeray case contains two first editions of "Vanity Fair," one of them in the original yellow paper wrapper, with the pages uncut, a manuscript of "The Four Georges" in the hand of Charles Poarman, with numerous corrections and additions in Thackeray's autograph, and a presentation copy of "Henry Esmond," given to Charlotte Bronth in gratitude of her recognition of his work. Several pencil drawings by Thackeray complete the selections, which is made from the collection bequeathed to the University by Mrs. Widener from her son's library.
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TURN OUT! 1920
