Identifier: penphotographsof01fiel (find matches)
Title: Pen photographs of Charles Dickens's readings
Year: 1871 (1870s)
Authors: Field, Kate, 1838-1896
Subjects: Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870 British Novelists, English Oral reading
Publisher: Boston, J. R. Osgood and company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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Text Appearing Before Image:
ot the ordinary How are you ? but, forthis night only, Wliere did you get your ticket ? Thenfollowed a thrilling narration of hairbreadth scapes, lis-tened to with breathless attention. Once seated, it-was a pleasure to look upon the mul-titude that completely filled the vast hall. If CharlesDickens was not to be tried by his peers — a good fortunethat never yet befell genius — he had invoked the bestaudience that New York can produce. There were poets,authors, artists, actors, and managers; there were women B 18 THE WELCOME IN NEW YOKK. of culture, lawyers, doctors, bankers, and merchant-princes. The foiirth estate shone with unusual lustre. Dailies and Weeklies were scattered in everydirection, and the very air seemed redolent of printers-ink. Then Charles Dickens came, and we saw and heard,and he conquered ; not all at once, but gradually, slowly,and surely. However, let me not anticipate ; yetmust I say that All my reports go with the modest truth;No more, nor clipped, but so.
Text Appearing After Image:
THE READING DESK. PEN^PHOTOGRAPflS. I. THE DESK AM) THE EEADEE. /^NE glance at the platform is sufficient to convince^-^ the audience that Dickens thoroughly appreciates stage effect. A large screen of maroon cloth occu-pies the background; before it stands a light table ofpeculiar design, on the inner left-hand corner of whichthere peers forth a miniature desk, large enough to accom-modate the readers book. On the right hand of thetable, and somewhat below its level, is a shelf, whererepose a carafe of water and a tumbler. T is a combi-nation and a form indeed, covered with velvet some-what lighter in color than the screen. No drapery-conceals the table, whereby it is plain that Dickensbeheves in expression of figure as well as of face, anddoes not throw away everything but his head and arms,according to the ordinary habit of ordinary speakers.About twelve feet above the platform, and somewhat inadvance of the table, is a horizontal row of gas-jets witha tin reflector; and midway in

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