Explore the museum
Discover Dickens through his work, his home and the things that mattered to him most
Catherine's Cookbook
This is a recipe book, written by Charles Dickens's wife, Catherine, under the pen-name 'Lady Maria Clutterbuck.'
Ignorance and Want
Scrooge confronts the children 'Ignorance' and 'Want.'
Sketch of the Ghost of Christmas Present
Sketch of Jacob Marley
Scrooge, illustrated here for the very first time, being confronted with the ghost of Jacob Marley.
Trial edition of 'A Christmas Carol'
A trial edition of 'A Christmas Carol' in which Dickens played with the idea of changing the font colour.
Oliver Twist asks for more
Illustration by George Cruikshank
Playbill for 'A Christmas Carol'
This playbill from February 1844 advertises the very first adaptation of 'A Christmas Carol.' Discussed by Cindy, Frankie and Emma in episode one.
Affairs of the Heart
Letter, from Charles Dickens to Georgina Hogarth, 29 October 1868
Collaborators?
Charles often decided to ‘tone down’ Wilkie's writing to ensure they wouldn’t offend middle-class readers.
Unfinished Works
The Mystery of Edwin Drood, 1870
Reconsidered Corrections
The Frozen Deep, annotated by Wilkie Collins, 1866
Musical Accompaniment
Overture to 'The Frozen Deep,' 1857
The Frozen Deep
Photograph of the Charles Dickens-Wilkie Collins Dramatic Company, 1857
A Final Story
Incomplete draft of 'Tom Tiddler's Gound' 1861
Satellite of Jupiter
Joining the Household Words made Wilkie’s professional subordination to Charles official – ‘one of the satellites of Jupiter’, as a contemporary reviewer put it.
As Close as Family
Here Charles lies on the grass relaxing with family and friends, including Wilkie second on the left, distinguishable by his beard.
Best Friends
Charles invites Wilkie to Brighton, clearly wanting his best friend to cheer him up on his special day.
A Flattering Caricature
Object in focus: print of Dickens being received by the Edinburgh literati
The Amazing Conjuring of Characters
Object in focus: ‘Dickens the Great Magician’ by Kyd (Joseph Clayton Clarke)
The All-Important Prop
Object in focus: Ivory paper knife owned by Dickens
The Difficulty of Capturing Dickens
Object in focus: Manuscript letter from William Powell Frith
Drawn by new technologies
Object in focus: Drawing of Dickens by Mr Maskelyne's Automaton ZOE
What shall we have for dinner?
Object in focus: What shall we have for dinner?
Carte de visite
Object in focus: Carte de visite
Candlesticks
Object in focus: Candlesticks
Bentley’s Miscellany
Object in focus: Bentley's Miscellany
First edition of 'A Christmas Carol'
Object in focus: First edition of A Christmas Carol
Portrait of Charles Dickens
Object in focus: Portrait of Charles Dickens
Letter from Charles Dickens to Frederick Ouvry
Object in focus: Letter from Charles Dickens to Frederick Ouvry
Marriage License
Object in focus: Marriage license
Nicholas Nickleby Manuscript
Object in focus: Nicholas Nickleby manuscript
Nickleby Illustrations
Object in focus: Nickleby illustrations
Photograph of Dickens’s Gad’s Hill Servants
Object in focus: Photograph of Dickens’s Gad’s Hill servants
Portraits of Catherine and Charles Dickens by Samuel Laurence
Object in focus: Portraits of Catherine and Charles Dickens by Samuel Laurence
Portraits of Charles Dickens
Object in focus: Portraits of Charles Dickens by Alfred D'Orsay
Print block for ‘Fezziwig’s Ball’
Object in focus: Print block for ‘Fezziwig’s Ball’
