Description:

Charles Dickens
[London, England], December 24, 1866
Charles Dickens PSA Certified 3rd Person ALS On Christmas Eve, Same Month Spooky "Mugby Junction" Was Published!
3rd person ALS

A 1p autograph letter signed in the third person by British novelist Charles Dickens (1812-1870) as "Mr Charles Dickens" in the first line. December 24, 1866. [London, England.] Inscribed in blue ink on laid stationery paper with a red and black pre-printed "Office of All the Year Round, / A Weekly Journal Conducted By Charles Dickens" letterhead. Encapsulated and PSA/DNA certified authentic. Expected wear including flattened transmittal folds and a few extra wrinkles, with some ghost ink impressions in the blank bottom half. Else near fine. The letter measures 5" x 8" and the slab measures 6.625" x 10.125". Provenance: Ex-Paul Richards, 1970.

Dickens wrote this letter on Christmas Eve to an aspiring writer named "Mr Gregory" in full:

"Twenty fourth December [186]6

Mr Charles Dickens presents his compliments to Mr Gregory, and begs to assure him that if the MS to which his letter refers, be forwarded to this office, it shall be honestly and faithfully read."

Charles Dickens had founded the weekly literary magazine "All The Year Round" in 1859, after a contentious break with his former serial magazine publishers. Dickens maintained complete editorial control of his new magazine from its founding until his death in 1870. Like its predecessor, the Dickens-founded "Household Words," "All The Year Round" was a mixture of fiction and non-fiction, with contributors ranked among England's most famous writers.

Dickens loved a good ghost story, like all Victorians. He had capitalized on the popular tradition of recounting ghost stories at Christmastime with his "A Christmas Carol" (1843) and "The Haunted House," published in "All The Year Round" in 1859. The Extra Christmas Number of "All The Year Round" (London: Chapman and Hall) published in December 1866 featured a suite of ghost stories called "Mugby Junction" written by Dickens, Amelia B. Edwards, and other authors, all loosely related to railroad travel. Dickens's most memorable contribution to "Mugby Junction" was "The Signal-Man," also known by its official title "No. 1 Branch Line: The Signalman." This ghost story centered around a railroad signalman who sees a specter and hears a supernatural alarm right before terrible accidents occur.

Charles Dickens is best-known today for being the most popular novelist in Victorian Britain, but he was also a professional journalist, regularly contributing serial stories and articles of social commentary to periodicals of the day like "Daily News," "Household Words," and "All The Year Round."

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: slabbed: 6.625" x 10.125"
  • Medium: 3rd person ALS

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