The

Stu

dyDavid Copperfield

David shows you some of his creators’ old belongings and work, including these first editions and illustrations of David and those people he meets throughout his life.

“Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.”

The

Par

lour

Betsey Trotwood from David Copperfield

Miss Betsey introduces you to her parlour; the old-fashioned furniture is brightly rubbed and polished and her own inviolable chair and table sit by the round green fan in the bow-window. The cupboard in the corner is where Miss Betsey produces her concoctions to pour down the throat of her young nephew, David. A formidable personage, Miss Betsey is the great-aunt of David Copperfield and the principal magnate of his family.

The

Bac

k R

oom

Wilkins Micawber from David Copperfield

Mr Micawber is relentlessly optimistic, even though he has to deal with persistent hardships and misfortunes throughout his life, but he has the guiding principle that “something will turn up”. The humourous caricatures on the mugs, reliefs and illustrations reflect the funny and comical nature of Mr Micawber.

“His clothes were shabby but he had an imposing shirt-collar on . . . And a quizzing-glass hung outside his coat – for ornament, I afterwards found, as he very seldom looked through it and couldn’t see anything when he did.”

The

Sho

pNell Trent from The Old Curiosity Shop

Nell is an orphaned girl who is angelic and virtuous and “not quite fourteen”. She lives with her grandfather in his peculiar shop of odds and ends.

“The house where little Nell and her grandfather lived was one of those places where old and curious things were kept, one of those old houses which seem to crouch in odd corners of the town, and to hide their musty treasures from the public eye in jealousy and distrust. There were suits of mail standing like ghosts in armor, here and there; curious carvings brought from monkish cloisters; rusty weapons of various kinds; distorted figures in china, and wood, and iron, and ivory; tapestry, and strange furniture that might have been designed in dreams; and in the old, dark, dismal rooms there lived alone together the man and a child--his grandchild, Little Nell.”

The Dickens House Museum is celebrating its 40th anniversary. You are invited to join in with the

festivities and take a tour. You will discover all your favourite characters while exploring this unique house.

Welcome

Vic

tori

ana

& C

ostu

me

The sweet and kind Tim Cratchit lets you explore all the fascinating items from the Victorian period. You can admire all the children’s clothes and toys, as well as those mysterious and exciting little items in the cabinets.

“Besides Tim, who was a weak and delicate little cripple, and for this reason was dearly loved by his father and the rest of the family; not but what he was a dear little boy, too, gentle and patient and loving, with a sweet face of his own, which no one could help looking at.”

The

Wed

ding

Roo

mIn this small room, upstairs at the back, is where these traditional wedding clothes can be found. However, for the jilted Miss Havisham, these clothes hold a darker meaning.

“She was dressed in rich materials — satins, and lace, and silks — all of white. Her shoes were

white. And she had a long white veil dependent from her hair, and she had bridal flowers in her hair, but her hair was white. Some bright jewels

sparkled on her neck and on her hands, and some other jewels lay sparkling on the table.”

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