The Magic of Dickens

 

Memoirs of Robert Houdin.

Memoirs of Robert Houdin.

From an early age, Charles Dickens was fascinated by all things paranormal. He pored over tales of phantoms, murder, and cannibalism. Later, he belonged to London’s famous Ghost Club that investigates ghosts and hauntings to this day. (Arthur Conan Doyle was a member, too.) Dickens was also a believer in the benefits of mesmerism, a fairly new and controversial therapy that he practiced on family and friends to some success.

What does this have to do with Boatwright Library? Well, in our Galvin Rare Book Room we have a book purchased from Dickens’ personal Dickens3library–a two volume set of the Memoirs of Robert Houdin (Rare Book Room GV1545.R47 A4 1859a, v. 1 & 2), a French magician of great importance. (Houdini took his stage name from Houdin.) If the label in the front saying, “From the Library of Charles Dickens,” isn’t enough, on page 1 of volume one, in very girlish penmanship is written “Katey Dickens”, his youngest sur

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viving daughter’s signature.

Need more? We have original serialized copies of David Copperfield, as well as, Little Dorritt, Bleak House, and others, complete with illustrations. We also have two collections of sketches and illustrations of Dickens’ work by George Cruickshank and Thomas Sibson.

So, drop by the Galvin Rare Book Room and have a Dickens of a time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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