The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club
One of the most interesting stories about Tasmania’s early
history is the publication of a pirated edition of Charles Dickens’ the Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club
in 1838-9. It seems that the Launceston Mechanics’ Institute once had a copy in
its collection. (https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/780675?lookfor=pickwick%20papers%20dowling&offset=1&max=2)
The publisher was
Henry Dowling (1810-1885), son of the prominent Baptist minister of the same
name, and brother of artist Robert Dowling. In his lifetime he was a printer,
publisher, bank manager and philanthropist. In 1831, at the age of twenty-one,
he became the editor and publisher of the Advertiser,
previously the paper of John Pascoe Fawkner.
The original Pickwick
Papers had been published (with illustrations) in London in 20 instalments between
March 1836 and October 1837. The illustrator (from number 4 onwards) was ‘Phiz’.
The publication quickly became very
popular and obviously a copy found its way to Van Diemen’s Land fairly
promptly.
Dowling’s version of the text was published in twenty-five
instalments from August to October 1838 and was available from his stationery
warehouse in Brisbane Street. Illustrations for this pirated publication were
made available to subscribers towards the end of this time. The illustrations,
copies or adaptations of those in the English publication, were said to be by
‘Tiz’. The story was later published in book form with twenty lithographic
illustrations.
The identity of the illustrator ‘Tiz’ has always been a
mystery. Jack Briggs, said to be a servant of Dowling’s, is usually credited
with the illustrations, although he is not known to have had any artistic
training. However, an obituary for Henry
Dowling in 1885, more than 45 years after his publication of the pirated
version, claims the illustrations were done by a draughtsman in the Hobart Survey
Office. (https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/9110751)
Very few copies of Dowling’s version remain in libraries in
Australia. The State Library of NSW claims to have the only copies of the
original instalments version. Libraries Tasmania has a copy of the book form,
as does the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery. The National Library in
Canberra has two copies and one of those is noted as having the stamp of the
Launceston Mechanics’ Institute! To date there is no knowledge of how the LMI
acquired its copy, or how it ended up in the National Library. If you have any further
information, please feel free to comment on this blog.
