Primary sourceSpeech9 February 1858

Speech on behalf of the Hospital for Sick Children

Charles Dickens · 9 February 1858

A record of Dickens's 1858 fundraising speech for the new Great Ormond Street children's hospital.

Dickens delivered this speech himself to raise funds for the hospital, showing his use of celebrity for social causes.

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Image related to Dickens's 1858 speech on behalf of the Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street. — Charles Dickens, Speech for the Hospital for Sick Children, 9 February 1858.

About this source

What it is

This is a record of a speech given by Charles Dickens on 9 February 1858 in support of the Hospital for Sick Children at 49 Great Ormond Street, London.

Why it matters

Dickens was one of the most famous people in Britain, and he used that fame to raise money for causes he believed in. This speech shows him acting not just as a novelist but as a public campaigner, helping a new hospital for poor and sick children get established and funded.

Look closer

Why might a famous writer's words raise more money than an ordinary appeal?
What does this tell you about how Dickens saw his own fame and responsibility?
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This speech is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Charles Dickens on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.