A Christmas Carol, 1843.The year 1843 was memorable to John Leech, for then he first became acquainted with the author of "Pickwick." By whom the introduction was brought about is not quite clear; perhaps the credit of it may be awarded to Douglas Jerrold or Thomas Hood. In the above-mentioned year Leech's services were obtained for the illustration of "A Christmas Carol," for which he prepared eight designs; four of these were etched on steel, the impressions being afterwards coloured by hand, while the remaining four were drawn on wood, and beautifully engraved by W. J. Linton. The popularity of the "Carol" (the pioneer of all Dickens's Christmas Books, and, indeed, of Christmas literature generally) proved enormous, and much of its success was undoubtedly due to the attractive designs of John Leech, who entered so thoroughly into the spirit of this charming little allegory. In 1893 the original drawings, with the exception of that entitled "Scrooge's Third Visitor," were sold at Sotheby's for 155 guineas, and afterwards catalogued by a London bookseller at £240—a considerable advance on the price paid to the artist and engraver, which was just under £50. This interesting series of drawings (two of them tinted in colours) had hitherto remained in the possession of a daughter of the artist.
Plate XLIV
"RICHARD AND MARGARET"
Facsimile of the Original Sketch for "The Chimes" by
JOHN LEECH
The figure of Richard was altered in the published design.
By Permission of the Art Museum Committee of theCorporation of Nottingham.
The Chimes, 1845.To "The Chimes" Leech contributed five illustrations, the original drawings for which realised 66 guineas at Sotheby's in 1893. Some of these slight pencillings now form part of the Leech Collection at Nottingham Castle, including the first sketch for the illustration referred to by Dickens (in a letter to his wife) as being, together with a sketch by Doyle for the same story, so unlike his ideas that he invited both artists to breakfast with him one morning, and, "with that winning manner which you know of, got them, with the highest good-humour, to do both afresh." The design in question appears in the "Third Quarter," in which two scenes are represented, the upper one depicting Margaret in her garret, while in the lower compartment appears Richard, with "matted hair and unshorn beard," as he enters Trotty Veck's cottage. The artist misunderstood his author, and delineated, instead of Richard as described in the text, an extremely ragged and dissipated-looking character, with a battered hat upon his head. When the novelist saw it, the drawing had already been engraved, but the woodcut was promptly suppressed; there still exists, however, an impression of the cancelled engraving, which is bound up with what is evidently a unique copy of "The Chimes" (now the property of Mr. J. F. Dexter), where blank spaces are left for some of the woodcuts; this particular copy is probably the publishers' "make up," and had accidentally left their hands.