Charles Dickens

A Touch of Dickens: Tanqueray Finest Gin Punch

Filed under: Spirits

Charles Dickens wrote in 'David Copperfield' in 1850, "Punch, my dear Copperfield, like time and tide, waits for no man ... His recent despondency, not to say despair, was gone in a moment. I never saw a man so thoroughly enjoy himself amid the fragrance of lemon-peel and sugar, the odour of burning spirit, and the steam of boiling water, as Mr Micawber did that afternoon. It was wonderful to see his face shining at us out of a thin cloud of these delicate fumes, as he stirred, and mixed, and tasted, and looked as if he were making, instead of a punch, a fortune for his family down to the latest posterity."

And, in Dickens' "Scrooge," the miser's assistant, Bob Cratchit, is heard to compliment his dear wife's gin punch as the finest in London.

For a Christmas party, a proper Dickensian Gin Punch sets a festive mood.

So, how does one make a gin punch, and should you use just any gin? The answer to the second, for me, is, No. Don't just use any gin unless pressed by budget or circumstances (i.e. you are snowed in, and can't get out of the driveway).

Tags: Bob Cratchit, Charles Dickens, cocktail recipes, gin, gin punch, holiday cocktail, holiday cocktails, Scrooge, Tanqueray

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Charles Dickens' Dog's Collar Sold for $11,590

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Pets

A dog collar that once belonged to Charles Dickens was sold at Bonhams New York's 28th dog art sale last month and went for well above its pre-auction estimates of $4,000-$6,000. The collar, made of leather and brass and inscribed with Dickens' name (and address?), sold for $11,590. Although the final price was more than twice what was expected it's not completely without precedent: last year an ivory and gold toothpick that once belonged to Dickens went for $9,150. Dickens was known for being fond of dogs and this collar certainly looks well-worn.

Via Luxurylaunches

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Tags: auctions, bonhams, charles dickens, CharlesDickens, collar, dickens, dog collar, DogCollar, pet, pets

Charles Dickens's Summer Home For Sale

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

A home that once belonged to author Charles Dickens has hit the market. The six-bedroom Grade II listed property in Broadstairs has been renamed Bleak House and is also home to a Dickens museum. The author wrote part of his novel David Copperfield and the BBC reports he also is believed to have planned Bleak House there.

The property was built in 1801 and was constructed as the residence of the fort captain during the Napoleonic Wars and the lower level includes prison cells. The home's study, where Dickens wrote has ocean views. It is listed at £2 million.

Gallery: Bleak House

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Tags: bleak house, BleakHouse, broadstairs, charles dickens, CharlesDickens, kent

Famous Dickens Collection To Be Auctioned Off

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

Christie's New York will auction off The Kenyon Starling Library of Charles Dickens on April 2. The collection, which could bring in as much as $2 million includes remarkable manuscripts, presentation copies, playbills, and original drawings. The collection is part of the William E. Self Family Collection. Bill Self moved to Hollywood in 1944, and appeared in numerous films, including The Thing, I Was a Male War Bride, Story of G.I. Joe, Red River and Sands of Iwo Jima and later became a highly successful producer for both television and motion pictures and the President of Twentieth Century-Fox 's Television Division. He was an avid book collector and met Kenyon Starling while bidding on rare books. Both had a taste for Dickens and traveled the world visiting major bookshops. Dtarling left his Dickens collection to Bill's family because of their mutual background, shared collecting interest and friendship. The Kenyon Starling Library of Charles Dickens is among the finest in private hands. Among the most significant lots is a presentation copy of Oliver Twist (1838) in a special presentation binding to his friend and fellow-author, William Harrison Ainsworth, and a presentation copy of The Uncommercial Traveller (1861) to the novelist George Eliot. The collection includes important autograph and manuscript material including an extremely rare manuscript page from the original manuscript of the Pickwick Papers shown at right which is estimated to sell for $150,000 - 250,000.

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Tags: charles dickens, christies, manuscripts, rare books