A rare stereoview of Charles Dickens, which has been missing for nearly 170 years, has been rediscovered in a private collection in Lincolnshire.
The existence of the Victorian 3-D photo was first mentioned by Dickens specialist Dr. Faye Kinnitt in her 1970 book Dickens in Depth. No source for her research was given, but it’s been widely referenced and quoted by academics ever since.
The image, albumen prints on a cardboard mount, captured with a binocular camera, shows Dickens learning to swim in the River Trent, Clifton, just before he gave a reading of The Chimes, on August 2nd 1858.
The collector, who wishes to remain anonymous, said “I usually collect grubby Victorian images of cats and Lincolnshire, but when I saw this stereocard, I knew there was something special and different about it. I had a hunch it was Charles Dickens in the image, and when I Googled the price of Dickens stereoviews, I was convinced.”
The stereoview is going on display before midday at Brackhampton Museum on 1st April 2024, where visitors will be able to view it for three months before it goes to auction.
Dr. Kinnitt was approached for comment, but at the time of writing The Stereoscopy Blog has not received a reply. Her colleague, Regius Professor of Philology Donald Trefusis of St. Matthew’s College, Cambridge, expressed his extreme surprise at the discovery and hopes the other missing image mentioned by Kinnitt, of Dickens sharing large pork pies before a reading of Oliver Twist in Melton Mowbray, will also be found soon.
**UPDATE**: The Stereoscopy Blog managed to obtain an exclusive interview with the collector, a Ms. P. Tayker, just before the exhibit at Brackhampton opened on 1st April. She requested to release the following official statement through the Blog:
| “I would like to apologise profusely to anyone who has wasted any of their time reading my codswallop. I hope you can forgive me, and I wish you a very happy April Fool’s Day me Ducks. Please may you use AI generators and stereoscopic conversions responsibly.” |
Poisson d’avril.
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Not an April Fool’s Day news ?
JYG
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Poisson d’avril 🙂
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The final image brings to mind the classic quote:
“The feathered tribes on pinions cleave the air;
Not so the mackerel, and, still less, the bear”
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The final images reminds me of the classic quote:
“The feathered tribes on pinions cleave the air;
Not so the mackerel, and, still less the bear”
LikeLiked by 1 person