Portraits of Charles Dickens, 1836-1870

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Summary

Abstract:
A collection of drawings, etchings, prints, and watercolors related to Charles Dickens, his life, and his characters.
Extent:
2.5 Linear Feet (2 boxes)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Charles Dickens portraits, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

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"). Also included is the original separated binding.

Biographical / historical:

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.

Acquisition information:
Purchased from the William K. Bixby sale, August 1918.
Processing information:

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.

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

mssHM 45652. RESTRICTED. Available with curatorial approval. Requires extended retrieval and delivery time.

Terms of access:

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.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Charles Dickens portraits, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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