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Lot #691
Charles Dickens Letter Signed

"There should be no vacant seats in the Theatre"—Dickens stages a charity show

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Estimate: $1200+
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Description

"There should be no vacant seats in the Theatre"—Dickens stages a charity show

Printed form letter elaborately signed in ink, "Charles Dickens," one page, 5 x 8, September 8, 1845. Letter sent to "Miss Buckley," in full: "If any unforeseen occurrence should arise, at any time between the date of this note and the occasion to which it refers, to prevent you from availing yourself of the enclosed Card of Invitation; I beg the favor of its return to me, immediately after your becoming aware of your inability to attend. I trouble you with this request, in deference to a general desire on the part of the Inviters that there should be no vacant seats in the Theatre, when many of their personal friends are necessarily excluded from it, at the best, in consequence of its small size." In fine condition. A magnificent signature with an impressive paraph.

This letter evidently refers to the revival of Ben Jonson's play Every Man in His Humour, mounted by Dickens and a group of his literary and artistic friends, in which Dickens himself played the blustering Captain Bobadil. It premiered in a 'Strictly Private, Amateur Performance' at Miss Kelly's Theatre in London on September 20, 1845. Charity performances then followed in London and elsewhere, with one attended by Queen Victoria.

Auction Info

  • Auction Title: Fine Autograph and Artifacts, Ft. Science & Tech
  • Dates: #622 - Ended December 08, 2021





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