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Title: 1868 ticket to hear Charles Dickens in New York
Author: **
Description: Printed ticket stub on salmon colored paper. 4.5x6 cm. (1¾x2¼").“Mr. Charles Dickens’s READING. Monday, March 23, 1868. To commence at Eight o’clock precisely. This portion of the ticket must be preserved to insure possession of the seat. FLOOR, Right. Row 1, No. 3”. The famous British author’s second trip to America, two years after the Civil War, lasted for five months, from November 1867 to April 1868. It was filled with public readings in Boston, Philadelphia, New York City, Hartford, Providence, Rochester and Baltimore which netted Dickens tens of thousands of dollars, but left him ill and homesick. Many of these recitations from popular works like Pickwick, Christmas Carol, and David Copperfield, were held in New York’s Steinway Hall; one was attended by Mark Twain, who was seated so far back from the speaker, that he could barely hear the words which “fell dead before they reached our part of the house”, Dickens being a “bad reader” who “does not enunciate…" sharply and distinctly”, and spoke in an “Englishy” monotone, without “heart” or “feeling”. Nonetheless, whoever held this ticket was fortunate to secure a front row seat at one of Dickens’ last readings before he sailed away on April 23 – these events were in such great demand that a forger printed up thousands of fake tickets which he planned to sell to the unknowing public. The scheme was foiled by Dickens’ lecture manager who had the counterfeits destroyed and the type broken up and devised the stamp which appears on this ticket to discourage further forgery."
Heading: (Dickens, Charles)Place Published:
Publisher:
Date Published: Monday, March 23, 1868
With some wear, tear and discoloration and a rubberstamp used to prevent counterfeiting; very good.
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| Estimate | $400 - $600 |
| Starting Bid | $200 |
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