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It’s been 202 years since the birth of Charles Dickens, possibly the greatest writer of the Victorian era, and this week’s auction at aypToday.com has the fan gear and some of his works in item 146 to show his art lives on! Which is your favorite of his works?
Is it A Christmas Carol? Thanks to this work, English dictionaries now have the noun, “Scrooge,” to describe a miserly person. In the story, when the Ghost of Christmas Past (see item 115) meets with Scrooge (item 82), the Ghost reminds Scrooge of the good times he spent as a youth with the Fezziwegs (item 81) in their Warehouse (item 69). With the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (item 116), Scrooge looks into the Cratchits’ cottage (item 69) and sees Tiny Tim (item 82)’s place at the table is vacant. This moves Scrooge to buy the large Christmas goose (item 82) for the family and pronounce that famous line, “I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year.”
But my favorite Dickens’ hero is the dashing Nicholas Nickleby! Maybe you’ve seen a movie adaptation? If you’re a huge fan like I am, item 85 has you covered--from Nicholas’ time at Wackford Squeers Boarding School, to representations of the characters, to his final triumph of having his own cottage!
Before publishing Nicholas Nickleby, Dickens created Oliver Twist (see item 146 for your own copy) and its villain--Fagin (whose hide-a-way is featured in item 80). If you start your own village scene, be sure to distribute the three Constables (also in item 80) throughout your village to keep it safe from Dickens’ villains and pickpockets like Oliver Twist!
Sadly, Charles Dickens’ own life resembled that of many of his disadvantaged protagonists. At the age of 12, when his family moved into debtors’ prison, he left school and worked in poor conditions. Fortunately, later in life, his writing allowed him to buy the home he longed to have as a child, Gad’s Hill Place (item 70), and gave him an opportunity to travel. In fact, he did a great deal of traveling, as fans paid to hear him read his works. When traveling in Britain, he might have stayed in inns like the Pied Bull Inn (item 94), Dedlock Arms (items 70, 71, 101), Sir John Falstaff Inn (items 81, 94), or The Crown & Cricket Inn (item 71).
Dickens’ home, Gad’s Hill Place on the far Right
Perhaps, when he traveled north from London, he took the Flying Scotsman train (like item 100) which has been running since 1862. One train ride he took almost cost him his life; in 1865, all the first class carriages of his train went off a bridge--except his. During this tragedy, he rescued some and comforted others in their last minutes of life. However, the exhaustion he experienced from intense traveling and working during the last years of his life probably cut his life short; he died at age 58, in 1870. With his memories of a simple beginning, he had asked to be buried in a private, inexpensive manner (I’m thinking churches like those in the Dickens’ Series: Knottinghill Church (item 101) and Old Michael Church (item 82)); however, he was buried in the Poets’ Corner of Westminster Abbey.
“Flying Scot Train”
He is remembered as having written such excellent works as Great Expectations (with beloved Pip and cold Estella), David Copperfield (which was quite autobiographical), and A Tale of Two Cities (the best selling novel of all time), among others (see item 146). So what’s your favorite novel of his?
Happy Bidding!
Adrienne
www.ayptoday.com
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