Dickensians! discussion

Here is where we can share places we have visited, which commemorate Charles Dickens. I think there are quite a few statues to him around the world, despite him forbidding them! There are Literary Festivals about him - and his name pops up on signs in the most unlikely places.

Please tell us what you've spotted, or an event or museum about him, you have been to.

My profile picture is actually of me standing outside the "Dickens House Museum" at 48 Doughty Street, London., last year, 2019.

Although it's a museum now, it is Charles Dickens's only surviving London home, in Bloomsbury, and is otherwise known as the "Charles Dickens Museum". LINK HERE

It was confusing at first, as you enter by the house next door, which they purchased just for that purpose, and to provide a shop area etc. But here I am by the entrance which Dickens himself would have used:



And here is the "blue plaque" on the wall, to identify it:



Charles and Catherine lived there with the eldest three of their (eventual) ten children, and the older two of Dickens's daughters, Mary Dickens and Kate Macready Dickens were born in the house. Dickens's younger brother Frederick also lived there, and Catherine's 17-year-old sister Mary Hogarth, to whom he was very attached. She died in his arms there, after a brief illness in 1837. He never got over this tragedy, immortalising her in many of his novels.

Although he and Catherine only lived there for a couple of years (between 1837 and 1839) before moving on to larger premises, there is an abundance of material from throughout his life. There are many first editions and original manuscripts as well as some original letters penned by Dickens, and many personal items too. There was a life-size bust of his head, and I was especially impressed to see a lock of his hair. It set my mind wandering on to Science Fiction cloning scenarios! I also loved seeing the original of my favourite painting of Dickens, "Dickens's Dream" painted by R. W. Buss, who was one of the original illustrators of The Pickwick Papers.



This was just over the hearth, opposite his desk.

Some of Dickens's early works were written here, including Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby, as well as a book I was given recently, Sketches of Young Gentlemen and Young Couples / Sketches of Young Ladies. And there is the desk, which was made such a fuss over when it was for sale recently. Actually that should be in his final house, "Gads Hill", but the London Dickens museum raised the cash for it. And I admit, it was very moving to stand next to the desk where he had written Great Expectations. I had my photo taken next to the great man's desk too :)

It's a typical Georgian terraced house, which we now call a "town house", as it is narrow and steep, on several floors. The room containing the desk and "Dickens's Dream" also had a bookcase of his first editions. A middle shelf of this is where his "lost portrait" had been displayed, for a week, (it's very small!) I just missed that. They are fundraising to purchase it.



I was pleased to have made it there at last, and thought of all my Dickens-loving friends on Goodreads :) And now, during this extraordinary time of lockdown, they have put out a 3-D tour of the "Dickens House Museum". So now we can all explore the house where Charles Dickens lived, from the comfort of our own homes :)

LINK HERE to go on a virtual tour of a house Dickens lived in, for yourself :) Isn't it great?

Thank your for all this info and the link, which I will check out. Fun to see your picture, too!

You're welcome Robin! I was a little hesitant about posting a picture of myself, but thew main thing is the doorway to Dickens's house, of course :)

Do you have any museums etc., or statues of Charles Dickens near you, Robin?

Thanks for the link and the photo, Jean. :) I don't have anything Dickens related near me (as far as I know) but I'll check out the virtual tour. I love the fact that most museums are providing virtual tours right now as I miss going to a real museum a lot right now.

Kathrin wrote: "I love the fact that most museums are providing virtual tours right now as I miss going to a real museum a lot right now...."

Yes, it's a real boon isn't it? And some of the major theatres are streaming live plays, ballets and operas too :)

I think even when there is no usual Dickensian connection, sometimes towns and cities include him in a literary festival or a library exhibition. And I'm always interested to hear of any statues to him, as he expressly forbade those! His descendants did allow one to be erected in England a couple of years go - but it was the first time ever here.

Bionic Jean wrote: "Kathrin wrote: "I love the fact that most museums are providing virtual tours right now as I miss going to a real museum a lot right now...."

Yes, it's a real boon isn't it? And some of the major ..."

Bionic Jean wrote: "Here is where we can share places we have visited, which commemorate Charles Dickens. I think there are quite a few statues to him around the world, despite him forbidding them! The..."

There is a Dickens/Devon connection which was so exciting to me as I worked in Exeter and lived in a little village next to Alphington - where Dickens lodged his parents for three years. Every day I would walk to work down Fore Street, Exeter, passing the house where Dickens visited his friend, Thomas Latimer, AND Dickens came to Exeter twice to give his famous readings in the Royal Public Rooms (which, when I was living near Exeter was then a Boots in High Street! Honestly, I used to be thrilled passing by!

These are fantastic memories Abby! And it sent me looking, as
I remembered (well, knew, I should say - I'm not that old!) that Charles Dickens had installed his parents well away from London, because his father (John Dickens) was such an extravagant spendthrift, and there were just too many temptations in London.

Here's the house in Alphington, called "Mile End Cottage"



On 9th March 1839, Charles Dickens wrote of it to his friend John Forster:

“I took a little house for them this morning, and if they are not pleased with it I shall be grievously disappointed. Exactly a mile beyond the city on the Plymouth road there are two white cottages: one is theirs and the other belongs to their landlady. … there is an excellent parlour with two other rooms on the ground floor, there is really a beautiful little room over the parlour which I am furnishing as a drawing room and there is a splendid garden … the place is clean beyond description and the neighbourhood I suppose the most beautiful of English counties.”

Sady, it was not to last. After three and a half years, (as you said Abby) John and Elizabeth Dickens found they were pining for the hustle and bustle of London, and they moved back there in 1842. Just as before, he soon ran up debts which his son Charles had to honour. In exasperation at this, Charles Dickens then cut off all contact with his father, for a while.

I've been finding out about the other house you mentioned, as belonging to Charles Dickens's friend Thomas Latimer.

The two first met in 1835, when they were both young reporters, covering the Exeter City Council elections. Dickens used to use Latimer's shoulder to support his notepad, and they compared notes before they both rushed to meet the deadline for their respective newspapers! Thomas Latimer went on to become a radical journalist in Exeter, whereas Dickens resigned in 1836 (after the serialisation of The Pickwick Papers) to concentrate on his writing.

As you said Abby, Thomas Latimer's house was in Fore Street, at number 143. This was also the address of "The Western Times", of which he was the editor.

One newspaper wrote, about one of those public readings of A Christmas Carol you mentioned:

"... Mr. Dickens possesses great dramatic ability, wonderful powers of facial expression, and a rich sonorous voice, of which he is a perfect master–changing it from the rough tones of Scrooge to the sweet and delicate key of Tiny Tim with an easy and remarkable facility."

What must it have been like to be there!

I really enjoyed visiting Dickens's former home at Gad's Hill in Higham, Rochester many years ago - it is usually open on a number of weekends each year, with cream teas being served to visitors, but obviously closed at the moment. It's a thrill to see his study, which has mock book backs including "The Wisdom of Our Ancestors: I Ignorance, II Superstition, III The Block, IV The Stake, V The Rack, VI Dirt, and VII Disease."

http://www.wearegads.co.uk/gadshillpl...

A private school is based there, but a few years ago it was reported that there were plans to turn the house into a Dickens heritage centre and move the school into modern buildings. I'm not sure how far this idea has got.

There were supposed to be lots of special events in the Gravesend/Rochester area this year to mark the 150th anniversary of Dickens's death, including a new play about Dickens to be performed at Gad's Hill Place, but this is again on hold at the moment.

https://www.visitgravesend.co.uk/dick...

I'd love to go to Gads Hill Place Judy! Thank for the links and here's a photo of it today:



Gads Hill Place, in Higham, Kent

I especially like the fact that Charles Dickens always wanted to live there, even as a little boy. He and his father would see it from their walks, and John Dickens told him that if he worked hard enough, then he would be able to own it some day.

What must it have felt like, when he finally achieved his dream :)

Bionic Jean wrote: "I think there are quite a few statues to him around the world, despite him forbidding them!"

This thread reminded me I've seen the Dickens statue in Philadelphia (in 2007). (It's also apropos to my recent reread of The Old Curiosity Shop.) I have two photos of the statue here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/5MUityWkCXh... and https://photos.app.goo.gl/NG3Vevpy8Ky... .

My photo captions from that time read: "Since 1901, Clark Park has been home to a life-size bronze statue of Charles Dickens and his character, Little Nell of The Old Curiosity Shop." and "In his will, Dickens directed that there be no monument or memorial erected in his honor by his family and friends. The sculptor was not aware of this clause. Clueless Americans. :) You can read the rest of the story here: http://www2.cruzio.com/~varese/dicken..."

I've also been to the Dickens Museum on Doughty Street, but that was way back in 1993.

Hey Teresa, thanks, this is lovely! Would you like me to post one of your pics here, or a different one? It is an impressive statue, and looks to be a beautiful park too, especially in Autumn as your shots show it :)

LOL In the interesting article you linked to, it made it clear that Charles Dickens's son, Sir Henry Dickens was the first to say "Clueless Americans!" And yet his descendants later were later to approve a statue right here in his own country! It's in Portsmouth, and was erected in 2005. Conveniently the family now think that he meant no memorial in his funeral arrangements! Jane Monk, Dickens's great-great granddaughter, has visited two other statues and said, "Why should Philadelphia and Sydney have statues and not England?" And Ian Dickens, his great-great-grandson commented, "I think most people are surprised there isn't a statue of him here. There are monuments, plaques and busts commemorating him all over the place, but no statue."

And as for the sculptor of the one in Philadelphia "not being aware", with all the months it takes to prepare small models, measure and create the mould and then finally cast a bronze statue ... surely someone told him!

In time it seems many people's "last wishes" get overturned. The plain truth seems to be simply that we want them! I certainly do like the statues, but don't think there's an ambiguity about his last wishes. Charles Dickens stated that his work was his testament, so my best guess would be that that's probably what he would have liked us to think too.

I'll post the relevant bits from Charles Dickens's Will in the next comment, so everyone can decide for themselves.

From Dickens' will:

"I emphatically direct that I be buried in an inexpensive, unostentatious and strictly private manner....

...that no public announcement be made of the time or place of my burial

...those who attend my funeral wear no scarf, black bow, long hat band or other such revolting absurdity

"I direct that my name be inscribed in plain English letters on my tomb without the addition or Mr or Esq.

"I conjure my friends on no account to make me the subject of any monument, memorial or testimonial whatever.

"I rest my claims to the remembrance of my country upon my published works."

Bionic Jean wrote: "Hey Teresa, thanks, this is lovely! Would you like me to post one of your pics here, or a different one? It is an impressive statue, and looks to be a beautiful park too, especially in Autumn as yo..."

Thanks, Jean. If you'd liked to post either one for me, go right ahead. I'm terrible at posting images on GR and didn't even try this time!

I agree there's no ambivalence in Dickens's will.

This topic reminds me I also saw his grave at Westminster Abbey during my 1993 visit to London. His funeral and burial were going to be in Rochester, per his wishes that he wanted to be buried in Kent, but the Abbey wanted him and got him. His wishes were mostly disregarded from the beginning. At least the coffin was plain and the service itself private.

Thank you for posting the photo of Gad's Hill Place, Jean, that'a a lovely photo. I would love to go there again before too long, as it must be getting on for 20 years since I visited.

Teresa, beautiful photos of the statue in Philadelphia - as Jean said, the autumn colours are lovely.

Thanks, Judy. It was late November and we lucked out with the sunny weather that day. That same day we also visited an Edgar Allan Poe House -- of course the one in Baltimore is more famous.

That must have been a wonderful day, seeing Poe's house and the Dickens statue - and having all the sunshine too. I've visited quite a few authors' houses in the UK over the years, but none in the last two or three years.

Actually, I've been to the Dickens House in the last couple of years, but that one wasn't a first-time visit. :)

Here are Teresa's two photos of the statue of Charles Dickens (and "Little Nell") in the beautiful setting of Clark Park, Philadelphia:





Thank you so much Teresa!

Plus a closer view of a detail:



It was the the world's first full-size statue of Charles Dickens, and I've managed to find out a little more about how it came to be there.

The sculptor was Francis Edwin Elwell, from New York City, and it was commissioned in 1890 by the founder of the "Washington Post" (Stilson Hutchins) with the idea that it would be placed in London. However, on learning of Charles Dickens's final wishes, Hutchins backed out of the deal. Francis Edwin Elwell finished it anyway, and the statue was then shipped to London, and put on display in the hope of finding a buyer. (So it has been here wow!)

But the British public at that time were conscious of Dickens's Will, and nobody came forward. It was then sent back to a Philadelphia warehouse. In 1896, an organisation which later became the "Association for Public Art" purchased it for $7,500 (about $213,000 today) and in 1901, it was placed in its current location. It remains there, despite many failed requests to move it somewhere more prominent.

Bionic Jean wrote: "Here are Teresa's two photos of the statue of Charles Dickens (and "Little Nell") in the beautiful setting of Clark Park, Philadelphia: Thank you so much Teresa!"

Thank you, Jean!

And the area the park is in is not prominent, as your additional info states. But it's walkable and there were no crowds, just people enjoying the park, and that was nice.

I think it looks lovely! Those in the centre of things are always campaigning for culture to be focused there. Londoners do not like it when Art Galleries open in far-flung areas such as the coastal village of St. Ives, in Cornwall, for instance.

By the way, this is what Dickens wrote after his trip to Philadelphia:

"It is a handsome city, but distractingly regular. After walking about it for an hour or two, I felt that I would have given the world for a crooked street. The collar of my coat appeared to stiffen, and the brim of my hat to expand, beneath its Quakerly influence."

So the open-air setting surrounded by trees sounds perfect.

I really love when good art and culture find more remote, less famous, areas. I understand why art museums are concentrated in big cities, but I feel there is a place for good art in even the most remote rural areas, and that is often neglected. How marvelous for the people who live near this park to have access to this remarkable statue!

I completely agree, Sara :)

Sara wrote: "How marvelous for the people who live near this park to have access to this remarkable statue!"

I like to imagine some person (or two or three) remembering they used to play near this statue when they were a child and that being the impetus for them to read Dickens. :)

And those who do seek it out get a different view of the city than the usual. I love doing that kind of thing during trips to any city I visit.

Teresa wrote: "Sara wrote: "How marvelous for the people who live near this park to have access to this remarkable statue!"

I like to imagine some person (or two or three) remembering they used to play near this..."

Oh yes, I always love when I find a sort of hidden gem when visiting another city. I always check to see what natural areas have been set aside as well. You can find some marvelous places that are virtually unvisited.

So perhaps now I should post a bit about what is still the only full size statue of Charles Dickens in his own country. As we've said, Charles Dickens died at the age of 58 saying that he wanted "no monument, memorial or testimonial".

Possibly because of this, there had not been a full size statue of him in Britain - until December 2015, when a statue was unveiled in Portsmouth. LINK HERE

Here is the statue:



And a closer view of a detail:



Apparently it is now conveniently thought that he meant no memorial in his funeral arrangements! That seems a bit tenuous to me. In time it seems many people's "last wishes" get overturned.

In this situation people always say that we don't know how the person would now feel, and of course that is true. Did he really expect to remembered 200 years later - and to be so famous?

When I reread what Dickens actually said, it does seem as if it is a reaction to the "pomp and ceremony" of funerals of the time, which he will have thought ridiculous, and mere money-spinners leeching the money from the bereaved.

On the other hand it is very clear when he says "any memorial whatever". I'm just glad I didn't have to make the decision!

Here's another link:
Charles Dickens statue - why was his dying wish ignored?

Here's a fun game our member Mary Lou shared with me. It's a detail from the painting "Dickens Dream" by Robert William Buss, which hangs in the "Dickens House Museum":



The museum is described earlier in this thread, and they have made an online jigsaw of the famous painting. You can choose how many pieces to select, to alter the level of difficulty. The easiest one took me 5 minutes - I daren't try harder ones!

LINK HERE

Good luck!

June 9th 2020 was the 150th Anniversary of the death of Charles Dickens, on the same date in 1870, and it seems as though many events were planned for then which will now be held later because of the coronavirus.

Two things did go ahead though. One was at Westminster Abbey, where he is buried: a light and sound installation projected onto the West Towers over the weekend. You can watch it here:

https://www.facebook.com/dickensmuseu...

The other is a message from the Dickens family, who are all in lockdown at the moment. They had hoped to be attending a wreath laying service at "Poets Corner" in Westminster Abbey, in honour of their ancestor Charles Dickens.

https://www.facebook.com/dickensmuseu...

And here are three images from the light installation at Westminster Abbey, to commemorate 150th Anniversary of the death of Charles Dickens:

Gorgeous photos Jean. There was a lovely item on the Swiss tv news about the anniversary 👍

Hi G.J. - it's good to see you here! I'd have liked to watch your TV programme. Do please come and introduce yourself in our Welcome thread, if you like :)

There's a link to the light show in the previous post; it must have looked quite spectacular I think.

Wow, Jean! That's a terrific tribute. It must have been fantastic to see in person.

I also liked seeing his family. Hubby is watching TV, so I have the sound muted on my computer. I'll go back later and hear what they had to say.
I wish there was a picture side-by-side of Dickens. I think I saw a family resemblance in a couple of the men, but am not sure.

I wonder what it would be like to have Charles Dickens as an ancestor with his works so much loved after all this time.

It's poignant, isn't it Petra? They must be so proud ...

I would have loved to see the light show - Westminster Abbey is immense! But only locals would have been able to see it, as travel is restricted to essential workers (and I'm still shut in anyway.)

But I'm glad they went ahead with it :) I do wonder if the events which are postponed will actually take place.

Wow, Jean, the photos are beautiful. Glad that went ahead.

I was in Genoa some days ago, and I decided to visit “Villa Pallavicino delle Peschiere”, or “Palazzo Peschiere” (Palace of the Fishponds), as Dickens called it. In Pictures from Italy Dickens writes that Palazzo Peschiere was his second residence during his stay in Genoa (the first being Palazzo Bagnerello). He appeared to enjoy Genoa’s Palaces:

"When shall I forget the Streets of Palaces: the Strada Nuova and the Strada Balbi!"

Those are two streets in the city center (Strada Nuova is called Via Garibaldi today) and some palaces are open to public. Palazzo Peschiere is not there, though: "it stands on a height within the walls of Genoa, but aloof from the town." I read that it could be visited, and we walked up there notwithstanding the heat (my poor legs), but when we arrived, we found the gate closed. The janitor told me that the Palace is no longer open to public. What a disappointment! He was polite though, and let me step in, to take this picture.

Stunningly beautiful! How nice that he let you take the picture even though the palace was closed to the public. The short story I am preparing for August has a Genoan palazzo in it...maybe this one. 😀

That's so beautiful Milena! Thank you for sharing it with us, and all the details.

I did smile at Charles Dickens's name for it, which doesn't seem to have the same grandeur, somehow. How lovely though, to trace the same footsteps as Charles Dickens, and wonder if his legs ached too!

I'm so pleased the janitor was helpful. You could always say there are a hundred or more people (here) eagerly waiting to see your photo! It certainly makes me want to read Pictures from Italy with everyone :)

Sara wrote: "Stunningly beautiful! How nice that he let you take the picture even though the palace was closed to the public. The short story I am preparing for August has a Genoan palazzo in it...maybe this on..."

Yes, he was very polite. Even though it was only a couple of pictures, I enjoyed being inspired by the inimitable to take them.
I’m looking forward to the discussion of the story, Sara. :-)

Bionic Jean wrote: "How lovely though, to trace the same footsteps as Charles Dickens"

I love tracing Dickens’s footsteps, Jean. I want to read the other chapters and go to watch the places with his eyes. Not now, though. The weather forecast said that a hot wind is coming from Africa. Aaahhh :-O

We could do with some of that hot wind in the UK!

I'm looking forward to the read too :)

Hot and muggy in the southeastern US today. Staying in and doing laundry and reading.

The "Charles Dickens Museum" in London has opened again, after several months shut because of lockdown. One of their special exhibitions is called "Technicolour Dickens", and is about "his image through artist interpretations, radical rethinking in popular culture and new digital technologies and re-imaginings."

They commissioned eight portraits from their own collection to be "colourised" by artist and photographer Oliver Clyde. I think you may have seen one of these John, didn't you? LINK HERE

It's on until the end of April next year. But who knows where we will be with travelling and flights to other countries by then!

Milena, thank you for posting the photo of the palazzo in Genoa - it looks beautiful.

Bionic Jean wrote: "My profile picture is actually of me standing outside the "Dickens House Museum" at 48 Doughty Street, London., last year, 2019.

Although it's a museum now, it is Charles Dickens's..."

This is wonderful, Jean! Thank you for sharing. I need to put this on my bucket list, for sure. Great information.

Judy wrote: "Milena, thank you for posting the photo of the palazzo in Genoa - it looks beautiful."

I only wish I could get closer, Judy, but the janitor kept an eye on me. :-P
And by the way, I love this thread.

I like having things like this collected together, Milena. So often someone will mention a place they've been to with a Charles Dickens connection (like you did!) and I can't for the life of me remember where it was, to find it again!

Would anyone else like to contribute something at the moment?

Frances (Fanny) Dickens

A sculpture of Charles Dickens's sister, Frances, has just been placed opposite his statue on Guildhall Walk, in Portsmouth, where Charles Dickens was born, It's a temporary sculpture, to fit in with a series. The design of Frances is in gold and green. She stands overlooking her brother’s sculpture, which depicts him reclining on a stack of books:



During our side read to David Copperfield, we were discussing Charles Dickens's early life, as documented by John Forster which mentioned his older sister, Frances, (or "Fanny").

Fanny had been born in 1810, and Charles Dickens's parents John and Elizabeth Dickens fully expected that it was she who would make the family name famous. In March 1823, Fanny became a student at the prestigious "Royal Academy of Music", in London, at a time when the family's finances were already very strained.

Fanny’s sponsor was a piano-maker from Soho named Thomas Tomkison, a friend of her parents. She was taught piano by the famous musician Ignaz Moscheles, a Jewish emigrant from Bohemia. Ignaz Moscheles had previously lived in Vienna, and was in turn a friend and pupil of Ludwig van Beethoven. It is understandable that John and Mary Dickens were so very proud of their talented daughter:



The Royal Academy’s archives state that in the examination for June 1824, Fanny won two prizes, including the 2nd prize overall for piano. (It was a silver pencil case!)

Many years later, Charles Dickens was to admit how much it hurt, to see his talented and adored older sister go off to school and win prizes. He was desolate that he was taken away from school and sent to work in a Blacking Factory, because his parents could not afford his own education. He felt as if he had been forgotten, and this painful memory was to colour all his life.

Other sculptures

There are three other temporary statues. One is of Mary Hardy, the headmistress of a local school, and the sister Dorset's most famous author, Thomas Hardy. It has been placed opposite his statue in the county town of Dorchester.

A statue of Princess Helena Victoria, sister of King Edward VII has also been placed in Birmingham. She was a founding member of the British Red Cross and a president of the Royal British Nurses Association, who campaigned for better working conditions, rights and pay.

Finally, a statue of Enola Holmes has been placed opposite that of the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, who lived at 221b Baker Street, London. The character of Sherlock Holmes was invented by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Three of these statues are to commemorate the real-life sisters of the 18th and 19th centuries, whose achievements were overshadowed by their more famous brothers. The one of Enola Holmes is to coincide with the release of a film about this younger sister of Sherlock Holmes.

Bionic Jean wrote: "Frances Dickens

A sculpture of Charles Dickens's sister, Frances, has just been placed opposite his statue on Guildhall Walk, in Portsmouth. It's a temporary sculpture, to fit in w..."

Thank you Jean for sharing those beautiful pictures. Fanny with her brother in front and Queen Victoria (I think) behind.
It’s so sad to think that the young Dickens saw his sister going to school while he was sent to work in a factory. How could he forget it.