[Brontë (Charlotte)], "Currer Bell". Jane Eyre. An Autobiography, 3 vol., first edition, half-titles, vol.1 with advertisement fly leaf dated June 1847, 32 pp. publisher's catalogue dated October 1847 and Calcutta Review advertisement f., ink ownership stamps to front and rear endpapers, 20th century brown crushed half morocco, spines slightly faded, very light rubbing to extremities, t.e.g., [Smith 2 pp.22-24], 8voSmith, Elder and Co., 1847.

⁂ Charlotte Brontë's masterpiece, a cornerstone of Victorian literature and an immensely important work in the development of the English novel.

Along with Emily and Anne, Charlotte had set about writing a novel in earnest following the publication of the Poems. In July 1846 they began the rounds of sending the manuscripts of their "three tales" (Wuthering Heights, Agnes Grey and The Professor) to potential publishers but none met with immediate success. Emily and Anne eventually found publishers for their works but Charlotte's failed to gain any interest. In July 1847, Charlotte sent the manuscript to Smith, Elder and Co. who, after a delay, replied to her to say that while they would not publish this work they liked her writing and would like to see anything of hers written in the more fashionable three volume format. Charlotte had at that point been nearing completion of Jane Eyre and seized the opportunity; completing and sending off the fair copy in just two weeks. The publishers were enthused by this new work and it was published in October 1847.