Some Interesting Facts and a Statue of Classic Author, Charles Dickens

Did you know Charles Dickens’ full name was Charles John Huffam Dickens? I didn’t, and Dickens is one of my favorite authors. His classic stories of life in England in the 1800s were full of wonderful characters, some of which the stories were named after – Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickelby, and David Copperfield to name a few. But, there is also Pip, Miss Havisham, Fagin, and many more, including Little Nell.

Little Nell is the beloved little girl in Dickens’ novel, The Old Curiosity Shop. Charles Dickens published a weekly serial in 1840-1841, called Master Humphrey’s Clock. In it, he published two novels, one of which was The Old Curiosity Shop, along with short stories. The Old Curiosity Shop was such a popular feature of Master Humphrey’s Clock, that readers in New York stormed the wharf when the ship bringing the final installment arrived in 1841. Then The Old Curiosity Shop was published in book form later in 1841.

Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth, England. Dickens’ novels tell of the injustices of the times he lived in, often featuring the brutal treatment of the poor in a society that was divided by levels of wealth.

Dickens’ family also faced poverty and Charles was forced out of school at twelve years of age to take a job in Warren’s Blacking Warehouse, a shoe-polish factory. He was treated badly by the other boys working there. Then his father was imprisoned for debt. The humiliation of these two circumstances hurt Dickens profoundly and became his deepest secret. However, they obviously provided an unacknowledged foundation for his fiction.

Charles Dickens published 15 novels, one of which was left unfinished at his death, The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

I would like to call your attention back to Little Nell because there are three statues of Charles Dickens in existence – one in Sydney, Australia, one in his hometown of Portsmouth, England, and one in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The one in Philadelphia is the oldest of the three. It was created in 1890, and is the only one that also depicts one of his characters, Little Nell from The Old Curiosity Shop. Before it was moved to Philadelphia, this statue won two gold medals at the Chicago’s World Fair of 1893 and crossed the Atlantic Ocean twice. It was sculpted by Francis Edwin Ewell, who was the one to send it to Philadelphia.

There are two interesting things about the statue being placed in Philadelphia: 1) Charles Dickens, in his will, stated he did not want any memorials, and 2) the fact that the statue is in Philadelphia, a city that Dickens disliked. He said, of Philadelphia, “it is dull and out of spirits.”

Funny that, despite Dickens dislike of Philadelphia, the statue has become a symbol of the neighborhood, and both, Nell and Dickens are crowned with flower wreaths frequently, including each year on Dickens’ birthday, when a party is held and there are readings and dancing.

If you are a Dickens’ fan, like me, I also highly recommend the movie, “The Man Who Invented Christmas” from 2017, and I’d love to know which of his classic novels is your favorite.

Kelly F. Barr lives in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She is married and has three sons. She writes historical romance. She has also been a blogger for ten years, and every Friday, you can find her Flash Fiction stories posted for your reading pleasure. She loves her family, including the family dog, books, walks, and chai lattes.

You can find her online at:

Website: kellyfbarr.com

MeWe: KellyBarr8