The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-07-25
RELICS OF CHARLES DICKENS.
One of the Most Remarkable Sales ON Record
Nearly Fifty Thousand Dsllnrs Obtained.


From the London Daily Neios.
The prices given at this sale on Saturday ex-
ceeded all expectation. Every one knew that
men would bid high, and that some of the most
popular lots would give rise to keen competi-
tion, but the reality far surpassed expectation,
and the statistics of the Charles Dickens sale
will long remain among the most interesting
traditions of Messrs. Christie and Manson's
famous rooms.
Mr.. John Forster, Mr.. Dickens intimate
friend and executor, and the man who is by
common consent spoken OF as his biographer,
sat behind the auctioneer and was the purchaser
OF Stanfields Logan Rock" for seventy-fve
guineas. Mr.. Dickens eldest son, Mr.. Charles
Dickens, Jr., stood in the crowd, and bought an
exquisite little water-color, by w. Hunt OF roses
in blue and white jug. for three hundred and
twenty guineas; while Mr.. George Scharf, +. s.
A. Mr.. Dion Boucicault, Mr.. Hawkins, @. c.,
Mr.. John Hollingshead, Mr.. Edmund Yates,
Miss Braddon, Mr.. j. G. Parkinson, Mr.. Ban
croft Mr.. Rudolph Gustave Glover, Mr.. Andrew
Halliday, Mr.. II. 6. Bohn, and Mr.. George
Augustus Sala, we're bidders Tor some or other
of the lots. The really special interest began
when the two water-colors by Topham were
put up. Mr.. Forster's picture "ihe logan
Rock, " has portraits of Mr.. Maclise, Mr.. Dick
ems, and Mr.. Stanfeld in its foreground, bat
the figures are small, and the outsiders heard of
this for the first time from MIR. Woods, the auc-
tioneer. But every one knew the story. of
"Barnaby Rudge and his Mother" and of lit
tie Nell and her Grandfather in the Tent, and
the one realized ITO and the other 275 guineas.
Little Nelrs Home" by Cattermole, 100 guineas,
and Little Nells Grave" 1S0 guineas. series
of small pencil sketches by John Leech, en-
closed in single frame, and bought by Mr..
Dickens at the late artists sale realized sixteen
guineas and a half. The cabinet picture, by
Frank Stone. of ''Tilda Price," from Nicholas
Nicllleby," painted at Mr. Dickens desire,
and representing the buxom lass fixing
flower in the curls which made poor Miss
Squeers so jealous, went for forty guineas
while Mr.. Gales exceedingly comic Mr. f.
If 4. -.
ing card, brought sixty gutneas The birthstone
and treaele scene from Dothoboys' Hall, rightly
described in the catalogues as an exquisite speci
men, had been well talked over during the three
days the pictures were on view. The first bid was
one of 400 guineas, and this solved the doubt,
and the price run up in a few minutes to 500
guineas, at which it was knocked down. The
portrait Of Mr.. Dickens in Used Up" by the
late Augustus Egg, sold for one hundred and
seventy guineas 1t was curious to remark the
eager personal interest displayed when the more
celebrated lots were about to be sold. There
was a deep drawn breath before the first did,
and sort of gasp of satisfaction when the ham,
mer fell after rapid bidding and good stiff price
had been reached, which seemed to come from
all in the room, and with the regularity and pre-
cison of a military exercise. The picture of
Pickwick and Mrs. Bardell in grisdile, by Les
lie, II. A., which is engraved as frontispiece in
the edition of ''Pickwick" of 1854, represents
Mrs. Bardwell when she had tainted in Mr..
Pickwicks arms; and when, before he had
time to deposit her on a CHI lir, Master Bardell
entered the room ushering in Mr.. 1upman. Mr..
Wrinkle, and Mr.. Snodgrass; this picture went
for 131 guineas. The comments when this was
seen on the movable easel proved how deeply
rooted is the knowledge of Pickwick in the
English mind. The gathering at Messrs. Chris
ties was not in any sense an artistic or literary
one. The notabilities present were so COM
pletely in the minority that one had to scan the
room to find them and what some writers would
term English Philistinism seemed as promi-
tlu aI oil Rtrt hon tho
Pickwick picture was up, the story il
told was repeated and dwelt on with
the keenest relish. But the enthusiasm
eliminated when the Dolly Warden was
The charming 'mist of coQuettishness" environ
ing this dainty figure, its beauty, its tripping,
lightseme step, the innocent playfulness of the
fair young face, took the room by storm, and
a first BID, the applause broke out again. This
masterpiece was finally knocked down for 100t
| guineas. Mr.. Dickens paid Mr.: Firth Just se2t
for it twenty-seven years ago. The companion
picture, Kate Nickleby at Madame Manta
linis," brought 200 guineas, and then all eye:
were on the Stanfelds, which were now uu-
covered. The "Eddystone Lighthouse brought
| 500 guineas, and the other two sea pieces 15(
| and 175 guineas respectively. When it is re
membered that Mr.. dickens left these works O.
art at Tavistock House as fixtures, and tha
the tenant succeeding him required as q favor
that they might be removed, as they "wert
| ul6aSreeaDle 10 MS WIG, JueU prices seem eA
| traordinary Another burst of applause came
| from the room when the full-length portrait
of Mr.. Dickens, by Maclise, was put up and il
was seen that Mr.. George Scharf, the curator o.
| the National Portrait Gallery, was bidding
Every one seemed to wish that this picture
should become the property of the nation, but
| although it sold for what was, compared with
| the other prices small sum- it fell to the Rev
| Sir Edward Jodrell for 660 guineas. The pic
| lures alone realized 769S guineas; and when the
miscellaneous collection was put up, the sum:
realized were larger in proportion than any
thing which had gone before. small bronze
| of an eagle on a rock went for twenty guinea:
and half the stuffed raven, which wa:
| the original of Grip" in 'Barnaby Rudge," fol
| 100 guineas; and the Pickwick ladies at this
rate-That with a silver-gilt figure of Mr.. Pick
wick for G69 (knocked down after keen com
petition to Andrew Halliday; the Fat Boy
e20; Old Weller, e51; Jingle, $50; Winkle, f23
| Sam Weller, G64. Mr.. Charles Dickens, Jr.
bought three of the foregoing, and thus termi
mated one of the most remarkable sales ON re
cord. 1t is worth adding that the executors hat
! no choice but to let it take place when and il
| the manner it did; the injunctions OF the will
being precise and binding that the things speci
fed were to be sold by public auction within
! month of death.