In celebration of the bicentennial of Charles Dickens’ birth, the New York Public Library has opened a wonderful, special exhibition called “Charles Dickens: The Key to Character”. Running through January 27, 2013, and held in the iconic Stephen A. Schwartzman Building, the show displays a wealth of Dickensiana, along with a wide range of work inspired by Dickens over the centuries.

“The exhibition looks at characters across Dickens’s career, from beloved novels like A Tale of Two Cities, Oliver Twist, and David Copperfield to lesser-know works including Martin Chuzzlewit and Dombey and Son…Also on display: an 1867 pocket diary filled with the code Dickens used to communicate with his mistress, Ellen Ternan; a couture gown by Prabal Gurung, a contemporary fashion designer inspired by the decayed elegance of Great Expectations‘s Miss Havisham; and recordings from the special collections of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.”

Related articles

• The Mystery of Charles Dickens (nybooks.com)
• Doing Dickens – Part 8 (thepenguinblog.typepad.com)
• Review: Miriam Margolyes – Dickens’ Women (thejc.com)
• Charles Dickens letter surfaces after 150 years (telegraph.co.uk)