There are also a series of clever extra illustrations by Pailthorpe and
others, coloured by the same. We have seen F. Barnard's illustrations
coloured by Pailthorpe. There are here also the original plates re-drawn
in Calcutta. They were also reproduced in Philadelphia, with additional
ones by Nast. Others were issued in Sydney. There are a number of
German woodcut illustrations to illustrate the German translations; some
rude woodcuts to illustrate Dicks' edition: ditto to Penny edition. There
is also a set of portraits from "Pickwick" in _Bell's Life_, probably by
Kenny Meadows; and coloured figures by "Kyd."
There are many pictures in colours--Pickwick, Weller, &c.--to illustrate
Christmas calendars, chiefly "made in Germany."
The most curious tribute is the issue by the Phonographic Society of
"Pickwick" in shorthand; and, finally, "Pickwick" in raised characters on
the Braille system for the blind.
This odd publication of "Pickwick" for the Blind came about in a quaint
way enough. As we know, the author issued at his own expense one of his
works in raised characters, as a present to these afflicted persons. A
rich old gentleman had noticed a blind beggar seated with the Bible open
on his knees, droning out the passages in the usual fashion. Some of the
impostor sort learn the lines by heart and "make believe" to read, as
they pass their fingers over the characters. The rich old gentleman's
blind reader read in the genuine way, and got through about fifty
chapters a day. No one, however, is much improved by the lecture. They
merely wonder at the phenomenon and go their way. The rich old gentleman
presently spoke to the blind reader: "Why don't you read 'Pickwick' or
some other book that the public will listen to?" "Sir," he replied--he
must have been of the stock of Silas Wegg--"give me 'Pickwick' in raised
characters and I will read it."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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