Scenes and Characters from the Works of Charles Dickens

Being Eight Hundred and Sixty-six Pictures Printed from the Original Wood Blocks

Published by Good Press, 2019

goodpress@okpublishing.info

EAN 4057664635808

Table of Contents

LIST OF WORKS AND ARTISTS

INTRODUCTORY NOTE

SKETCHES BY BOZ

THE POSTHUMOUS PAPERS OF THE PICKWICK CLUB

THE ADVENTURES OF OLIVER TWIST

THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF NICHOLAS NICKLEBY

MASTER HUMPHREY'S CLOCK AND OTHER STORIES

THE OLD CURIOSITY SHOP

BARNABY RUDGE A TALE OF THE RIOTS OF 'EIGHTY

AMERICAN NOTES

THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF MARTIN CHUZZLEWIT

CHRISTMAS BOOKS

PICTURES FROM ITALY

DEALINGS WITH THE FIRM OF DOMBEY AND SON WHOLESALE, RETAIL AND FOR EXPORTATION

THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD

A CHILD'S HISTORY OF ENGLAND

BLEAK HOUSE

HARD TIMES

LITTLE DORRIT

REPRINTED PIECES

A TALE OF TWO CITIES

THE UNCOMMERCIAL TRAVELLER

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

OUR MUTUAL FRIEND

CHRISTMAS STORIES FROM "HOUSEHOLD WORDS" AND "ALL THE YEAR ROUND"

THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD

THE LIFE OF CHARLES DICKENS

LIST OF WORKS AND ARTISTS

Table of Contents

Title Design	By Gordon Thomson
Sketches by Boz	34	Illustrations	by	Fred Barnard
The Pickwick Papers	57	"	"	Phiz
Oliver Twist	28	"	"	J. Mahoney
Nicholas Nickleby	59	"	"	Fred Barnard
Master Humphrey's Clock and other Stories	9	"	"	Fred Barnard
The Old Curiosity Shop	39	"	"	Charles Green
Barnaby Rudge	46	"	"	Fred Barnard
American Notes	10	"	"	A. B. Frost
Martin Chuzzlewit	59	"	"	Fred Barnard
Christmas Books	28	"	"	Fred Barnard
Pictures from Italy	8	"	"	Gordon Thomson
Dombey and Son	62	"	"	Fred Barnard
David Copperfield	61	"	"	Fred Barnard
A Child's History of England	15	"	"	J. McL. Ralston
Bleak House	61	"	"	Fred Barnard
Hard Times	20	"	"	H. French
Little Dorrit	58	"	"	J. Mahoney
Reprinted Pieces	9	"	"	E. G. Dalziel
A Tale of Two Cities	25	"	"	Fred Barnard
Uncommercial Traveller	26	"	"	E. G. Dalziel
Great Expectations	30	"	"	F. A. Frazer
Our Mutual Friend	58	"	"	J. Mahoney
Christmas Stories	23	"	"	E. G. Dalziel
Edwin Drood	12	"	"	Luke Fildes
Life of Dickens	28	"	"	Fred Barnard

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INTRODUCTORY NOTE

Table of Contents

THERE is one question upon which the critics and lovers of Dickens seem never able to get into agreement, and that is the question of the original illustrations to his works. To the thorough-going enthusiast Phiz and Dickens seem inseparable, and no edition which does not contain the old, familiar grotesques of Hablot Browne's imagination, or, in the earlier volume, the equally abnormal lineaments portrayed by Cruikshank or Seymour, would be deemed worthy of a place upon his bookshelf. But a younger generation is growing up, for whom the time-honoured pictures have not the charm of long association, and among them it is common to hear the complaint that the natural humour and pathos of the author's best works are spoiled to modern fancy by the violent caricatures of the illustrator. "Let us abolish these pictures altogether," they say: "and illustrate the books with pretty conventionalities by more fashionable artists." At the opposite pole stands yet another group of critics—the "Superior People" who have made up their minds that Dickens himself was a caricaturist, and that therefore the early illustrations, even if they do a little emphasise his exaggerations, are only conceived in fitting harmony with a world of fancy which drowns itself in excesses of the grotesque. Among so many doctors, and all so emphatic, who shall decide? It is, at any rate, no easy task.

It happens, however, that there does exist a series of Dickens illustrations, now in some danger of being unduly neglected, in which the artists were wonderfully happy in preserving the original features of Phiz and Cruikshank's interpretations, while they toned down the more extravagant details and brought imagination into closer harmony with reality. These were the illustrations to the square-shaped "Household Edition," published in 1870, just after the great novelist's death—and now reissued in this Dickens picture-book, in the hope that those who love the stories may like to possess in separate form what is, perhaps, the best pictorial accompaniment that the novels ever received. At the time of its first publication, the "Household Edition" enjoyed an enormous success. At the moment the name of Dickens was on every one's lips, and the fact that this splendidly illustrated reprint was issued in penny numbers and sixpenny parts placed it within reach of even the most humbly stocked purse. Its sale was stupendous, and the familiar green-covered pamphlets percolated through every town and village where the English tongue is spoken. The original copies may still be met with, under many a country timbered roof, carefully treasured as one of the most cherished household possessions.

Undoubtedly, a great part of the success was due to the art of the illustrators. To begin with, there was an unusually liberal display of pictures—the edition, as a whole, containing close upon nine hundred. But more important than the number were the truth and sincerity of the interpretations—qualities which helped to give a new life to characters already secure of immortality. First and foremost, of course, the edition will always be associated with the memory of Fred Barnard, whose pictures are the outstanding feature of the present volume. Barnard seemed destined by nature to illustrate Dickens; the spirit of "Boz" ran again in his veins. And nothing in his work is more impressively ingenious than the skill with which he took the types already created by his predecessors, preserved their characteristics, so that each was unmistakably himself, and yet by the illuminating touch of genius transferred them every one from the realm of caricature to that of portraiture. Not far inferior to him was that admirable draughtsman, Charles Green, who exactly adopted Barnard's attitude to the originals. The reader who will compare Green's illustrations to "The Old Curiosity Shop" with Phiz's, will scarcely fail to notice with interest how often Green has chosen the same subject as his predecessor, and all but treated it in the same manner, save that a twisted grotesque suddenly becomes, under the magic of his wand, a natural human being. His picture of Sally Brass and the Marchioness is a remarkable instance in point: but there are many others equally eloquent of his sympathetic and interpretative method. Nor should the work of Mahony, A. B. Frost, Gordon Thomson and others be forgotten, for each in his own way has helped to make this volume, what its publishers confidently claim it to be, a collection of Dickens pictures unrivalled for humour, pathos, character, and interpretative skill. In the certainty that such a gallery of good work can hardly fail to find appreciators, the volume is now offered to all lovers of the most widely popular author of the Victorian Era.

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SKETCHES BY BOZ

Table of Contents

ILLUSTRATIVE OF
EVERY-DAY LIFE AND
EVERY-DAY PEOPLE.

THIRTY-FOUR ILLUSTRATIONS
BY FRED BARNARD

 

The Half-pay Captain completely effaced the old lady's name from the brass door-plate in his attempts to polish it with aqua-fortis—Our Parish, chap. ii.

 

"Why the Devil ain't you looking after that plate?"—Our Parish, chap. v.

When he first came to look at the lodgings, he inquired most particularly whether he was sure to be able to get a seat in the Parish Church—Our Parish, chap. vii.

 

"It is nearly eleven o'clock, and the cold thin rain, which has been drizzling so long, is beginning to pour down in good earnest"—Scenes, chap. ii.

The Gravesend boat.—Scenes, chap. x.

 

Different women of the House gossiping on the steps … the native Diallers—Scenes, chap. v.

 

It was a wedding party and sketched from one of the interior streets near Fitzroy Square—Scenes, chap. vii.

 

The Gentleman described looks extremely foolish, and squeezes her hand, and fees the Gipsy liberally—Scenes, chap. xii.

"I may as well get board, lodgin', and washin' till then, out of the country, as pay for it myself; consequently here goes"—Scenes, chap. xvii.

 

"His line is genteel comedy—his father's coal and potato. He does Alfred Highflier in the last piece, and very well he'll do it—at the price."—Scenes, chap. xiv.

 

Tureens of soup are emptied with awful rapidity—Scenes, chap. x. 19

A gin-shop—Scenes, chap. xxii.

 

The Pawnbroker's Shop—Scenes, chap. xxiii.

Children were playing on the grass; groups … chatting and laughing; but the man walked steadily up and down, unheeding and unheeded—Characters, chap. i.

 

"What do you mean by that, Scoundrel?" exclaimed Mr. Samuel Wilkins. … "What's the matter with you, you little Humbug?" replied Whiskers—Characters, chap. iv.

The Prisoners' van—Characters, chap. xii.

 

Hurrying along a by-street, keeping as close as he can to the area railings, a Man of about forty or fifty, clad in an old rusty suit of threadbare black cloth—Characters, chap. x.

 

"I received a note"—he said tremulously, in a voice like a Punch with a cold—"Yes," returned the other, "You did,"—"Exactly,"—"Yes"—Tales, Chap. i.

"No what?" inquired Mrs. Bloss with a look of the most indescribable alarm "No stomach," repeated Mrs. Tibbs with a shake of the head—Tales, chap. i.

 

The dear little fellow, having recovered his animal spirits, was standing upon her soft tender foot—Tales, chap. iii.

"So exactly the air of the Marquis," said the Military Gentleman—Tales, chap. iv.

 

"How delightful, how refreshing it is, to retire from the cloudy storms, the vicissitudes, and the troubles of life, even if it be but for a few fleeting moments."—Tales, chap. v.

 

"Who was he?" inquired the Surgeon. "My Son!" rejoined the Woman; and fell senseless at his feet—Tales, chap. vi.

 

The facetious Hardy, in fulfilment of his promise, had watched the Child to a remote part of the vessel, and, suddenly appearing before him with the most awful contortions of visage, had produced his paroxysms of terror—Tales, chap. vii.

 

One Gentleman was observed suddenly to rush from table without the slightest ostensible reason, and dart up the steps with incredible swiftness, thereby greatly damaging both himself and the Steward, who happened to be coming down at the same moment—Tales, chap. vii.

 

"Leave that 'ere bell alone, you wretched loo-nattic!" said the Boots, suddenly forcing the unfortunate Trott back into his chair, and brandishing the stick aloft—Tales, chap. viii.

 

The Black Veil—Tales, chap. vi.

"Why," replied Mr. Walkins Tottle evasively; for he trembled violently, and felt a sudden tingling throughout his whole frame; "Why—i should certainly—at least, i think i should like——"—Tales, chap. x. 1

 

Mr. Nicodemus Dumps … cross, cadaverous, odd and ill-natured—Tales, chap. xi.

 

—, Chap. x. 2