Portret van Charles Dickens

What it is

This is a sepia photograph of Charles Dickens seated in a wooden chair beside a table with books, photographed by Ernest Edwards. It appears as part of an open book spread paired with a printed biography titled 'Charles Dickens.' The photograph is held by the Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands.

Why it matters

Photographic portraits like this one helped shape how the public pictured famous writers in the nineteenth century. Because it is likely a contemporary image, it gives students a sense of how Dickens wished to present himself, or how photographers chose to present him, to a reading public.

Look closer

• What does Dickens's pose and setting suggest about how he wanted to be seen?
• Why might this photograph have been paired with a printed biography?
• What is left out of a posed photograph like this that a letter or diary might reveal instead?