There’s so much history surrounding the Portsmouth-born author, we think you will enjoy looking through this beautiful collection. We celebrate on February 7 – which would have been his birthday - his life and works with images from the Getty archive.
![Sam Weller (right) listens to 'the red-nosed man' in a scene from Charles Dickens's first novel 'The Pickwick Papers', published as a serial from 1836 to 1837. Illustration by Phiz (Hablot Knight Browne, 1815 - 1882). (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)](https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjVlODMzYjZmLTIxYjQtNDAzMC04OTQ4LTk4ZDAxNjcxNjc0Njo5Nzg1ZWQ5Yi00NzgxLTRlYTEtYmY3Mi1mMGE4ZmU5MTEwZWI=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=800)
17. History of Charles Dickens
Sam Weller (right) listens to 'the red-nosed man' in a scene from Charles Dickens's first novel 'The Pickwick Papers', published as a serial from 1836 to 1837. Illustration by Phiz (Hablot Knight Browne, 1815 - 1882). (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) Photo: Hulton Archive
![circa 1900: The last home of English novelist Charles Dickens (1812 - 1870) and his parents, Gads Hill House, near Rochester, where he died suddenly on 9th June 1870. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)](https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjVlMjhiMGRjLWQ1MTEtNDIyZi05NWU1LWU1MDM3OTJkMzQ4Yjo5OTQ5ODk1NS03OGM4LTRkNDYtODQxMi03YTA1ZGMzZWEzNDA=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=800)
18. History of Charles Dickens
circa 1900: The last home of English novelist Charles Dickens (1812 - 1870) and his parents, Gads Hill House, near Rochester, where he died suddenly on 9th June 1870. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) Photo: Hulton Archive
![Portrait of British author Charles Dickens (1812 - 1870) as he sits at a table, mid 1800s. He wears a jacket and tie, as welll as a ring on his left hand. (Engraving by Robert Whitechurch/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)](https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjk0YzM5ZmI0LWE2ZjktNDBhOC05NmVjLTZkN2RmM2M4YzQyMTplZjMxNTc1MC0xOTlkLTQ3OTEtOTUzYi01YzEwNDRjMGU0MjA=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=800)
19. History of Charles Dickens
Portrait of British author Charles Dickens (1812 - 1870) as he sits at a table, mid 1800s. He wears a jacket and tie, as welll as a ring on his left hand. (Engraving by Robert Whitechurch/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) Photo: Hulton Archive
![Samuel Pickwick (seated, right) with Sam Weller at the attorney's office in a scene from Charles Dickens's first novel 'The Pickwick Papers', published as a serial from 1836 to 1837. Illustration by Phiz (Hablot Knight Browne, 1815 - 1882). (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)](https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOmYzNjc5ODE1LTNhYWEtNDkyMy1iZjNlLTdkN2YyMTc1Njc0Yjo4Njc1MjI4MC1kYjkxLTQzYTAtOGZjMS1lNTE5MDFiYmY0MDM=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=800)
20. History of Charles Dickens
Samuel Pickwick (seated, right) with Sam Weller at the attorney's office in a scene from Charles Dickens's first novel 'The Pickwick Papers', published as a serial from 1836 to 1837. Illustration by Phiz (Hablot Knight Browne, 1815 - 1882). (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) Photo: Hulton Archive