Background:

Originally written in the 1840s by Charles Dickens, the prints shown here are from the first American edition featuring illustrations by Arthur Rackham (1867-1939) published in 1915.

Rackham's artistry captured and documented the Victorian age in which he was born.  The popularity of his work was due to the calm feel and good humor of his drawings, and his preservation of a lifestyle that kept the modern future at bay.  Working as a clerk while attending Lambeth School of Art in London, his work originally appeared in magazines.  Rackham's first book illustrations were published in 1893.