Browse Items · The Dickens Code

'Disadvantageous' symbol

A black symbol on a white background. A line slopes down to the right loops back on itself to create a circle and shoots up to the right with a zig-zag like tick towards the tail.

The Brachygraphy shorthand symbol for the word 'disadvantageous'

Tags: brachygraphy, disadvantageous, shorthand, symbol

'Expectation' Symbol

A black symbol on a white background. A line arches with the right hand tail looping round to create a circle and continuing into a horizontal short line. A small curved line intersects the left bottom of the arch shape. A similar small curved line adjoins the inside right of the arch above the loop.

The Brachygraphy shorthand symbol for the word 'expectation'

Tags: brachygraphy, shorthand, symbol

Traced shorthand letter with partial solution

A brown sheet of tracing paper with holes punched down the left side. The outline of a smaller page torn from a notebook, also with holes punched down the left side, can be seen through the tracing paper. Written in black at the top is 'Dickens's Shorthand' and the date. 11 lines of shorthand characters in black ink are visible through the tracing paper. On top, written on the tracing paper layer, are potential transcriptions.

A tracing of a shorthand letter partially transcribed

Tags: Charles Dickens, letters (correspondence), shorthand, transcription

Thackeray's letter and Dickens's shorthand reply

On the right-hand half of a folded sheet of paper is a letter neatly written in black ink on white paper, thin enough to see the words written overleaf. The joined up handwriting is neatly spaced in straight lines and easily decipherable. On the left-hand side, eight lines of Brachygraphy shorthand annotation are written about the stamp and address. Parts of the wax seal remain on the top left corner and bottom left edge.

A letter addressed to Charles Dickens from author William M. Thackeray with Dickens's reply noted in Brachygraphy shorthand

Tags: Charles Dickens, letters (correspondence), shorthand, William M. Thackeray

Recto side of a shorthand copy of a letter from Charles Dickens to his publisher Richard Bentley, dated 14 July 1837

A sheet of paper with nineteen lines of Brachygraphy shorthand handwritten in ink. The lines are arranged in four paragraphs and interspersed with numerical figures, including '£600', '£700', and 38. The titles of two novels are also marked by Roman capitals: 'BR' for 'Barnaby Rudge' and 'OT' for 'Oliver Twist'.

Shorthand copy of a letter in which Dickens proposes a revised agreement to his publisher, Richard Bentley

Tags: Charles Dickens, contract negotiations, letters (correspondence), Richard Bentley, shorthand

Verso side of a shorthand copy of a letter from Charles Dickens to his publisher Richard Bentley, dated 14 July 1837

A sheet of paper that shows fold lines in half horizontally and vertically. A red catalogue stamp just off centre. In the bottom left quarter an upside-down longhand note reads 'copy letter [...] Friday 14th July 1837', handwritten in ink. At the top of the page, two and a half lines of Brachygraphy shorthand.

Shorthand copy of a letter in which Dickens proposes a revised agreement to his publisher, Richard Bentley

Tags: Charles Dickens, contract negotiations, letters (correspondence), Richard Bentley, shorthand

Recto side of Dickens's shorthand copy of a letter from John Forster to Richard Bentley, dated 22 October 1838

A sheet of paper with nine lines of Brachygraphy shorthand handwritten in ink, occasionally interspersed by Roman letters ('B', 'OT', 'D'). The characters are arranged in three paragraphs. Beneath, to the left, is signed 'Bentley' with the date.

Dickens's shorthand copy of a letter from John Forster to Richard Bentley, proposing that Bentley come to a new agreement with Dickens

Tags: Charles Dickens, contract negotiations, John Forster, letters (correspondence), Richard Bentley, shorthand

Verso side of Dickens's shorthand copy of a letter from John Forster to Richard Bentley, dated 22 October 1838

A sheet of paper that shows fold lines in half horizontally and vertically. A red catalogue stamp just off centre. In the top right quarter, handwritten in ink, are details about the subject matter: 'Oliver Twist copy letter [...] Bentley from Forster October 22nd 1838'.

Verso side of Dickens's shorthand copy of a letter, containing details about the subject matter in longhand

Tags: Charles Dickens, contract negotiations, John Forster, letters (correspondence), Richard Bentley, shorthand

A page from Dickens's 1867 Pocket Diary

The right hand page of a small open book. Eight notes are written in different colours and shades of ink divided by underlining. Two of the notes are crossed out with heavy zig-zag lines. The second note on the page is three lines of Brachygraphy shorthand with 'Xmas 1855' written in longhand at the start.

A page from Dickens's 1867 Pocket Diary, including a shorthand note of a quotation later used in a speech

Tags: Charles Dickens, diary, shorthand

Shorthand memo by Dickens written on the back of a letter from George Lovejoy, dated 29 May 1841

A photostat of a shorthand memo. Three paragraphs of Brachygraphy characters arranged across nine lines.

A shorthand memo in which Dickens outlines his reasons for declining Lovejoy's proposal to stand for a seat in Parliament. The surviving longhand letter is dated 31 May 1841.

Tags: Charles Dickens, letters (correspondence), parliament, shorthand

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