Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was born at Portsea, near Portsmouth, England. He was originally a journalist, but also wrote fictional sketches of London life and novels. He held private theatrical events at his London home as well. The collection consists of 19th century English playbills for plays written by Dickens or adapted from novels by Dickens, as well as 9 plays in which Dickens appeared as an actor.

Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812 at Portsea, near Portsmouth, England; moved with his parents to Chatham and then London; attended Wellington House Academy, and at 15 became an office boy in the Holborn law firm of Ellis and Blackmore; went into journalism, becoming by 1832 a general reporter for the True Sun and parliamentary reporter for the Mirror of Parliament; began to write fictional sketches of London life for magazines, leading to the publication of Sketches by Boz (1836); became a novelist with Pickwick papers, serialized in 1836-37; held private theatrical events at his London home, and between 1847-57 the amateur company that he formed appeared in public more then 60 times; other published works include Oliver Twist (1837-39), Dombey and Son (1846-48), David Copperfield (1849-50), Bleak House (1952-53), A Tale of Two Cities (1859), and Great Expectations; he died at Gad's Hill on June 9, 1870.

1 box (0.5 linear ft.)

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