The picture-books Children's Stories from Dickens (1893) and Character Sketches from Dickens (1924) combine extracts and synopses from Dickens's best-selling novels with Copping's depictions of well-known characters and in particular child characters, including the Walmers from the periodically published "The Holly Tree Inn" and three of the Christmas Books, A Christmas Carol, The Chimes, and The Cricket on the Hearth. Especially effective are the with historically-costumed character studies in lithographs by late Victorian water-colourist Harold Copping. Eleven of these illustrations appear in the volume compiled by Dickens's grand-daughter, Mary Angela Dickens, Children's Stories from Dickens.
Of more critical interest is the "Introduction" of six pages by Dickens's daughter, the widow of Charles Allston Collins who remarried, Kate Macready Perugini (1839-1929), and the "Foreword" by Bertram W. Matz (1865-1925), Dickensian editor from the inception in January 1905 of that specialty journal and organ of the Dickens Fellowship. Although the text does not so indicate, the author of each of the introductions to the plates was probably Matz also. Each plate is an independent work of art in itself, given additional meaning by the accompanying extract, the style being markedly more realistic than the original illustrations produced by Phiz. Notably absent from the array of characters are those from two of Dickens's current "best-sellers," Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities. One wonders whether the choices were Copping's or Matz's since a great many beloved characters even from the limited range of titles illustrated are missing: the crotchety Mr. Dick and Aunt Betsy from David Copperfield and the ebullient Mark Tapley and subtle Montague Tigg from Martin Chuzzlewit, for example. — Philip Allingham
Related Material
- Biographical Note on Harold Copping (1863-1932): Illustrator of Dickens's Child Characters and the Bible
- Kate Perugini's introduction
- B. W. Matz's foreword
Pickwick Papers
- Mr. Pickwick Addresses the Club
- The Fat Boy Awake
- Mr. Pickwick in The Pound
- Sam Weller and His Father
- Mr. Pickwick in pursuit of his hat
- The Fat Boy
- The Fat Boy on the doorstep
- The Old Lady's daily walk in the garden
Oliver Twist
- Mr. Bumble and Oliver Twist
- Oliver Asks for More
- Mr. Bumble, the Parochial Beadle
- Oliver Twist thrashes Noah Claypole
- This poor, friendless boy trudges off to London
- Mr. Brownlow at the bookseller's stall
- Bill Sikes abandons the wounded Oliver
- Dr. Losberne consults Mrs. Maylie and Miss Rose
- Rose Maylie tends Oliver
The Old Curiosity Shop
- Little Nell and her Grandfather
- Little Nell
- Dick Swiveller meets the Marchioness
- Dick Swiveller's Surprise; or, Dick Swiveller and the Marchioness
- The Marchioness
- Dick Swiveller at his desk
- Sally Brass gives the Marchioness her dinner
- Little Nell and her Grandfather in the shop
- Little Nell and her Grandfather resting at the roadside
- Mrs. Jarley taking tea in her caravan
- Codlin and Short in the graveyard
- Grandfather Trent alone among the tombs [tailpiece]
Barnaby Rudge
Nicholas Nickleby
- Wackford Squeers and the New Pupil
- Fanny Squeers and Nicholas Nickleby
- The Brothers Cheeryble
- Nicholas and Smike
- Wackford Squeers and his cane
- Nicholas caning Squeers before the pupils
- Mrs. Squeers and her brimstone-and-treacle
- Nicholas and the dying Smike
Martin Chuzzlewit
A Christmas Carol
- Bob Cratchit's Christmas Dinner
- Tiny Tim dressed for church
- He had been Tim's Blood-horse All the Way from Church . . . Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim
- Tiny Tim with his crutch
- Ebenezer Scrooge with his gruel
- The dying flame leaped up as though it cried. . .
- Bob Cratchit, grieving his son's death
- Martha Cratchit and the marvellous Christmas pudding
- Tiny Tim and His Father
- Ebenezer Scrooge on Christmas morning in the street
- He went to church, and walked about the streets. . .
- Ebenezer Scrooge with poulterer's man
- "God bless you, merry gentleman"
- Vignettes from the 1911 Edition
- A lonely boy was reading by a feeble fire
- Then Old Fezziwig stood out to dance. . .
- There was first a game at blind-man's buff
- On 'Change, amongst the merchants
- "He is past relenting . . . he is dead."
- "I will honour Christmas in my heart. . ."
The Chimes
The Cricket on the Hearth
- John and Dot Peerybingle
- Caleb Plummer the Toy-maker
- Tackleton visits the Toy-makers
- Bertha and Her Father — Caleb Plummer and His Blind Daughter
- Bertha's anguish
- Bertha comforts Caleb
Dombey and Son
- Captain Cuttle's Bright Idea
- Mr. Dombey and Little Paul
- Mrs. Pipchin
- Cornelia Blimber and Little Paul
- Little Paul at the End-of-term Party
- Little Paul Dombey and Florence on the Seashore
- Little Paul and his sister [tailpiece]
David Copperfield
- David and Little Em'ly
- David and Little Em'ly [cover illustration]
- Mr. Peggotty and Little Em'ly
- Mr. Peggotty headnote vignette
- David and his mother in the cottage
- Mr. Murdstone canes David
- Barkis Drives David to Yarmouth
- Barkis and David in the carrier's van
- David and The Friendly Waiter
- "Take care of him. He Bites."
- David encounters Aunt Betsey Trotwood
- Mr. Micawber Conducts David Home (book cover)
- Mr. Micawber Conducts David Home
- David Copperfield and Uriah Heep
Little Dorrit
- "Thinking of the fields, ain't you?"
- Arthur Clenham Tells the Good News
- Little Dorrit gathers flowers for "Bob," the turnkey
- "If you please, I was born here."
- Maggie
- Little Dorrit and Maggie asleep at the Gates of the Marshalsea
Bleak House
- "With an old broom softly swept the step"
- Jo and Lady Dedlock at the gates of the burying ground
- Jo taken up by the Constable
Our Mutual Friend
- Mr. Boffin and Silas Wegg
- "Seated on a carpet were two girls bending over books"
- Jenny Wren and Mr. Dolls
- Jenny Wren and Riah
- Jenny Wren dreaming over her dolls
"The Runaway Couple" from The Holly Tree Inn
- Mr. and Mrs. Harry Walmers, and Cobbs — "You shall be our head gardener when we're married."
- The Runaway Couple
- Harry Walmers
- Cobbs, the Boots of the Holly-Tree Inn
- Master Harry consults Cobbs about breakfast
- Master Harry and his Pa
- Master Harry and Mrs. Harry Walmers, asleep [tailpiece to "The Runaway Couple"]
Scanned image and text by Philip V. Allingham. [You may use these images without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.]
Bibliography
Dickens, Charles. A Christmas Carol. Illustrated by Harold Copping. London, Paris, New, York: Raphael Tuck, 1911.
Dickens, Mary Angela, Percy Fitzgerald, Captain Edric Vredenburg, and Others. Illustrated by Harold Copping with eleven coloured lithographs. Children's Stories from Dickens. London: Raphael Tuck, 1893.
Dickens, Mary Angela [Charles Dickens' grand-daughter]. Dickens' Dream Children. London, Paris, New York: Raphael Tuck & Sons, Ltd., 1924.
Matz, B. W., and Kate Perugini; illustrated by Harold Copping. Character Sketches from Dickens. London: Raphael Tuck, 1924. Copy in the Paterson Library, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.
Created 22 June 2013 Last modified 29 September 2023