1845 CHARLES DICKENS Original Letter to G. Cruikshank
(Guaranteed Authentic)
*** from the Hollywood Estate Authograph Collection
of the 1937 Oscar Winner for Best Supporting Actor Joseph Schildkrautt ***
LETTER from Charles Dickens to George Cruikshank. Handwritten in ink on 4.25 X 7 paper from Dickens's famous residence Devonshire Terrace, and signed with his initials.
The letter reads: " Devonshire Terrace, Seventeenth October 1945 My Dear George, I ....( cannot make it out )... you the Savings Bank Paper signed; and £ 30 for (from?) your investment. Ever yours CD George Cruikshank tipping (?)".
The letter is in very good condition for its age, with some background yellowing of the paper, with dark brown ink. T are no tears or other damage. It is professionaly framed with a portrait of Dickens on its left and a portrait of Cruikshank on the right. The paper the letter is written on is a lighter weight type.
( *** In the closeup pictures, because of the magnification, it appears "wrinkled" and so is Cruikshank's litho . The real condition can be seen in the fully framed picture. ***)
About the signature : In his private letters, Dickens used to sign with his initals frequently. Of course he used his initials in many different ways, and he did the same when he signed his full name. So t are lots and lots of different authentic Dickens signature patterns.
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George Cruikshank (1792-1878) is considered by some to be one of the best humorists that Britain ever produced. He became an early friend of Dickens, and produced some of his best-known work for him, beginning with Sketches by Boz , (1836) and reaching an apex with Oliver Twist , (1838). Cruikshank later claimed that the idea for Oliver Twist had been his.
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The portrait of George Cruikshank is an original print dated 1857 , from the Cyclopedia of Wit and Humor of America, Ireland, Scotland and England by William E. Burton, published in New York by D. Appleton in 1857. The print is from a wood engraving and the engraver is W. G. Jackman, a wekk known English engraver established in the US in 1841. The print is stained mostly on the bottom half and has a tear on the lower left. This print is hard to come by, but it also was chosen for its "imperfection".
The "Faithfully yours" portrait of Charles Dickens is a later print after the original by Margaret Gillies.
The whole ensemble including the matting, the portraits and the frame, has been purposely chosen to match the letter in its age, color & elements of style, down to the "imperfect" Crukshank portrait and the small ink spot on the matting. It is an excellent framing job. Everything blends in a nice harmony.
The set of 3 is mounted on a light beige carton that looks aged. The "ink" spot between the letter and G. Crukshank's portrait is intentional. The matting is light beige with a high quality wooden frame of medium oak color. The glass is special matte glass that does not cause glare. The frame is 26 X 17 inches. (Framed by Gene Sinser Galleries in Los Angeles.)
The Estate of Joseph Schildkrautt contained a big name authograph collection mostly from the musical world. The Dickens letter was the only litterary authograph. The Estate sale was handled by Treasures Estate Sales of LA.
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