The Original Serialization
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, commonly known as The Pickwick Papers, was Charles Dickens's first novel. It was published in nineteen monthly parts from March 1836 to November 1837, with the final double issue containing parts XIX and XX.
The novel began as a commission to provide text to accompany sporting illustrations by Robert Seymour. After Seymour's tragic death in April 1836, the young Dickens—just 24 years old—took greater control of the project. The focus shifted from sporting misadventures to the comic travels and legal troubles of Samuel Pickwick and his companions.
What began with modest sales of around 400 copies per installment grew into a phenomenon. By the final issues, Pickwick was selling 40,000 copies per month, making Dickens the most popular author in England virtually overnight.
The Illustrators
Robert Seymour (1798–1836) was the original illustrator, creating the first seven plates before his death. His vision of Mr. Pickwick—a tall, thin man—was transformed by later illustrators into the rotund figure we know today.
Robert William Buss (1804–1875) briefly replaced Seymour but produced only two plates before being dismissed. His inexperience with etching showed in the quality of the prints.
Hablot Knight Browne (1815–1882), known as "Phiz," became Dickens's primary illustrator, creating the remaining plates for Pickwick and going on to illustrate many of Dickens's subsequent novels. His dynamic, expressive style helped define the visual world of Dickens's fiction.
The 190th Anniversary Project
This website recreates the experience of reading The Pickwick Papers as it was originally published. Each monthly part becomes available on the 190th anniversary of its original release date, allowing modern readers to experience the anticipation and pacing that Victorian readers enjoyed.
The serialization begins on March 31, 2026—exactly 190 years after the first installment appeared in London bookshops—and concludes on November 30, 2027, with the final double number.
In an age of instant access and binge consumption, this project invites readers to slow down and savor Dickens's work at the pace he intended: one month at a time, with space between installments for reflection, discussion, and anticipation.
Sources and Credits
The text of The Pickwick Papers is sourced from Project Gutenberg, where it is available in the public domain.
Original illustrations by Seymour and Phiz are sourced from Wikimedia Commons and the Internet Archive, where high-quality scans of original editions are freely available.