Charles Dickens Carte-de-Visite (Gurney & Son, 1867) / SOLD

Description

Charles Dickens Carte-de-Visite (Gurney & Son, 1867)

 

Exceptional carte-de-visite portrait of famed British novelist Charles Dickens, taken during his triumphant 1867–68 American reading tour. This striking profile view captures Dickens in his later years, wearing a double-breasted coat with contrasting trim and his signature full beard. The photograph presents the author with the dignified, slightly austere presence for which he was known during his public performances.

 

The lower margin is printed “CHARLES DICKENS” and includes the copyright line:

“Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1867, by J. Gurney & Son, in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court for the Southern District of New York. Photo. XV.”

 

The reverse bears the distinctive Gurney & Son backmark featuring an American eagle and oval cartouche:

“PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTISTS — J. GURNEY & SON — 707 BROADWAY, N.Y.”

 

Jeremiah Gurney & Son were among the most prominent American photographic studios of the period, well known for their celebrity likenesses, including Dickens during his well-publicized U.S. visit. Surviving examples of this pose are desirable, as Dickens strictly controlled his image and authorized only select photographs.

 

A fine, clean example—sharp, well-toned, and with excellent contrast—ideal for collectors of literary history, celebrity photography, and 19th-century carte-de-visite portraiture.

 

Inventory Number: CDV 592