Charles Dickens was well-represented by a monogrammed candlestick from his Gad’s Hill library, which sold last month at Christie’s for $8,750. A letter written by his sister-in-law Georgina Hogarth testifies to its authenticity: “I certify that this Plated Candlestick was hereby used by Charles Dickens on his desk in the Library at Gad's Hill.” Dickens’ mahogany writing desk—one of his desks—was offered in the same sale and made $13,750, much less than the $1.2 million paid in 2015 for the ornate Victorian hulk on which he penned Great Expectations.
Authors’ walking sticks are not uncommon as memorabilia goes. This year saw the sale of an engraved hazel, silver, and ivory number that once belonged to Robert Burns for about $2,200, as well as the engraved gold-topped cane that belonged to Frederick Douglass, which ultimately realized $37,500.
Another neat literary artifact that came to market earlier this year was a 1905 press pass issued to Rudyard Kipling to cover the visit of the French Fleet to Portsmouth, England. It reached $3,437.
