Dickens (Charles) Collection, 1831-1905

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Summary

Title:
Charles Dickens collection
Dates:
1831-1905
Creators:
Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870
Abstract:
A collection of Charles Dickens letters, manuscripts, and ephemera.
Extent:
21 Linear Feet (18 boxes)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

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

Background

Scope and content:

A collection of letters, manuscripts, and ephemera related to Charles Dickens. The majority of the material is written by Dickens and covers the most productive years of his writing career. The letters are written from Devonshire Terrace, Broadstairs, and Tavistock House, as well as letters from various cities in England, Europe, and America. The collection also includes letters by Dickens' family members, friends, and business associates; there is also one forgery (mssHM 18751) and many of the letters include envelopes. Correspondents in the collection include, among others, Maria Beadnell, Hablot Knight Browne, George Cruikshank, Frederick Dickens, Georgina Hogarth, Charles Kent, William Charles Macready, Thomas Mitton, Frederic Ouvry, Richard Watson, Livinia Jane Watson, William Henry Wills, and the publisher Chapman and Hall. The collection also includes a small amount of ephemera.

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 writings 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 Anderson Galleries, Coggeshall sale, April-May 1916; purchased from Geo. D. Smith, April 1916; purchased from William K. Bixby, 1918; purchased from Charles Sessler, 1916-1918. A small number of items may have different provenances; source of acquisition is noted on item folders, when known.
Processing information:

The items in the Charles Dickens collection were processed and added to the collection over time by the Huntington Library staff, largely as they were acquired in the twentieth century. More detailed information about the individual items is noted on their folders and as well as on cards in the chronological and alphabetical sections of the Manuscripts card catalog. Previously assigned item-level call numbers have been retained and appear on the item folders. Many of the letters contain numbers, notes, and markings of earlier owners and dealers. In 2023, Gayle M. Richardson created a finding aid.

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Gayle M. Richardson
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-03-06 09:18:42 -0800 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

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

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 collection, 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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