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Portraits of Charles Dickens
mssDickenspo
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Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: Portraits of Charles Dickens
Identifier/Call Number: mssDickenspo
Physical Description:
1.25 Linear Feet
(1 box)
Date (inclusive): 1836-1870
Abstract: A collection of drawings, etchings,
prints, and watercolors related to Charles Dickens, his life, and his characters.
Language of Material: Materials are in
English.
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at
the Huntington Library for more information.
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from
or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The
responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining
necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
[Identification of item]. Charles Dickens portraits, The Huntington Library, San Marino,
California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased from the William K. Bixby sale, August 1918.
Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was a British writer during the Victorian era, perhaps the most
celebrated writer of his time; he used his writing to entertain but to also expose the ills
of Victorian society. Dickens was born in Portsmouth, England, and was forced by family
circumstances to leave school at the age of 12 for three years. After some additional
schooling, he began his writing career as a journalist; over the following decades, he was
also a journal editor, publisher, critic, and a writer of novels, short stories, and
articles. Dickens also gave many lectures and reading performances throughout England and
America. He used his writing to campaign for social reform for children and education among
other issues. In 1836, he married Catherine Thomson Hogarth; together they had 10 children.
On June 8, 1870, Dickens had a second stroke at his home; he never regained consciousness
and, the next day, he died at Gads Hill Place.
A collection of drawings, etchings, prints, and watercolors originally part of a bound
volume; the material is related to Charles Dickens, his life, and some of the characters
from his books, including "Nicholas Nickleby," "The Old Curiosity Shop," "Oliver Twist," and
"The Pickwick Papers." Also included are drawings of Dickens and his wife, Catherine
Dickens, and their visit to America in 1842. The material was created by various artists
including Hablot Knight Browne ("Phiz"), George Cattermole, George Cruikshank, Daniel
Maclise, Joseph Kenny Meadows, Pierre Morand, Frederick Sem, and Sir Leslie Ward
("Spy").
Processed by Huntington Library Staff in approximately 1980; in December 2023, Gayle M.
Richardson created the finding aid. The material was originally housed in a bound volume and
the items were removed by Huntington Staff; some of the material still has remnants of old
glue and small tears at the corners.
Arranged chronologically.
Individual call numbers included in the collection: HM 39987 (1-25).
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Artists -- Great Britain -- 19th century
Authors, English -- 19th century
Caricatures
Drawings (visual works)
Etchings
Portraits
Prints (visual works)
Sketches
Watercolors (paintings)
Browne, Hablot Knight, 1815-1882
Cattermole, George, 1800-1868
Cruikshank, George, 1792-1878
Dickens, Catherine,
1815-1879
Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870
Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870 -- Nicholas Nickleby
Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870
-- The Old Curiosity Shop
Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870
-- Oliver Twist
Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870 -- The Pickwick Papers
Maclise, Daniel, 1806-1870
Meadows, Joseph Kenny,
1790-1874
Morand, Pierre,
1832-1897
Sem, Frederick, approximately1835-1881
Ward, Leslie, Sir,
1851-1922