Table of Plates for Charles Stanley Reinhart's Illustrations for Dickens's "Nicholas Nickleby" (1872)

American-born but European-trained artist C. S. [Charles Stanley] Reinhart's fifty-two plates for Charles Dickens's The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby appeared in the Harper & Brothers' Household Edition (New York, 1875). His "Parisian" style of illustration, just in vogue when the American Household edition volumes appeared in the 1870s, is a severe departure from the careful detailism of Dickens's original illustrator of the novel, Hablot Knight Browne. Reinhart's brand of Sixties realism is perfectly consistent with the new style of the British Household Edition, particularly the work of its principal illustrator, Fred Barnard, who worked on Nicholas Nickleby in the same year. Simon Houfe's remarks about C. S. Reinhart's penmanship conveying a sense of colouring without the actual use of any pigmentation are certainly appropriate to his work on this initial American Household Edition volume.

Dickens's third serial novel first appeared under the title The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby in nineteen monthly instalments between April 1838 and October 1839 (the last a double-number). But in those instalments and the subsequent Chapman and Hall volume, as was the case with most of this author's monthly serials, the illustrations were steel engravings intended to be juxtaposed against the relevant pages of text, and not (as was the case in the sixteen Household Edition volumes issued by Harper and Brothers) integrated into the text itself.

Floundering into the room with greater precipitation than he had quite calculated upon (Frontispiece)
The Title-Page Vignette: Nicholas protects Smike
Headpiece for Chapter One: Nicholas, Squeers, and the Boys in the London inn (for Ch. 6)
The Committee Stood up and Clapped Their Hands (Ch. 2)
And Looking for a Short Time among the Advertisements (Ch. 3)
Smiling Horribly all the Time, and Looking Steadfastly at Nothing (Ch. 4)
When the Same Black Monk Passed Slowly on ("The Five Sisters of York," Ch. 6)
"Halloo," replied the Stranger ("The Baron of Grogzwig," Ch. 6)
"This is the first class in English Spelling and Philosophy, Nickleby." (Ch. 7)
"Dang my bones and body, if I stan' this ony longer." (Ch. 9)
"He shall be horsewhipped till he cries out demnably." (Ch. 10)
Newman Noggs Opened the Door of the Deserted Mansion (Ch. 11)
"Dear me," said Nicholas as the brown bonnet went down on his shoulder again (Ch. 12)

Nicholas varies the monotony of Dotheboys Hall by a most vigorous and remarkable proceeding (Ch. 13)
The travellers partook of their frugal fare (Ch. 15)
"My baby! My blessed, blessed, blessed, blessed baby!" (Ch. 15)
"This is all very well, Mr. Nickleby, and very proper, so far as it goes" (Ch. 16)
"Oh, Miss Knag," said Madame Mantalini, "this is the young person I spoke to you about." (Ch. 17)
Kate trying on the bride's bonnet (Ch. 18)
"Unhand me, sir, this instant!" cried Kate. (Ch. 19)
"I need not entreat your sympathy," he said, wringing her hand. (Ch. 20)
"Ah!" cried Mr. Mantalini, "interrupted!" (Ch. 21)
And many times turning back to wave his hat to the two wayfarers. (Ch. 22)
"Plump!" exclaimed the manager, quite horrified; "you'll spoil it forever." (Ch. 22)
And finally the Savage dropped down on one knee, and the maiden stood on one leg on his other knee (Ch. 23)
"What do you mean to do for me, old fellow?" asked Mr. Lenville, poking the struggling fire (Ch. 24)
"Is the sight of me so dreadful, Henrietta Petowker?" (Ch. 25)
"Suppose we go back to the subject of little Nickleby, eh?" (Ch. 26)
Affectionate Behavior of Messrs. Pyke and Pluck (Ch. 27)
"Run for Sir Tumley," cried Mr. Wititterley, menacing the page with both fists (Ch. 28)
"For my sake — for mine, Lenville — forego all idle forms, unless you would like to see me a blighted corse at your feet." (Ch. 29)
"I should have spoiled his features yesterday afternoon if I could have afforded it," said Newman. (Ch. 31)
Put on his hat, adjusted it by the glass, drew on his gloves, and at last walked slowly out. (Ch. 32)

The paper fluttered from his hand and dropped upon the floor. (Ch. 33)
"Look at them tears, sir!" * * * "There's oiliness!" (Ch. 34)
His conductor advanced, and exchanged a warm greeting with another old gentleman, the very type and model of himself. (Ch. 35)
"I should say," said Mr. Kenwigs, abruptly, and raising his voice as he spoke, "that my children might come into a matter of a hundred pounds apiece, perhaps." (Ch. 36)
But Tim Linkinwater, without looking around, impatiently waved his hand as a caution that profund silence must be observed (Ch. 37)
John was sitting on the bed, with the reddest face ever seen (Ch. 39)
"I must speak to her — I will! I will not leave this house without." (Ch. 40)
Falling about in all directions, now to the right, now to the left (Ch. 43)
"Madeline, who is this — what does any body want here?" (Ch. 46)
"And how have you been?" said Gride. (Ch. 47)

Lay the dead man, with his stark and rigid face turned upward to the sky. (Ch. 50)
Mrs. Kenwigs threw herself upon the old gentleman's neck. (Ch. 52)
And then, taking the beautiful burden in his arms, rushed out. (Ch. 54)
"I am robbed! I am ruined!" (Ch. 56)
"Fill it again, and hand it over to you." (Ch. 57)
"now," he murmured, "I am happy." (Ch. 58)
And clasping the iron railings with his hands, looked eagerly in (Ch. 61)
"Come!" said Tim, "let's be a comfortable couple." (Ch. 63)
The "Breaking-up" of Dotheboys Hall (Ch. 64)

Related material by other illustrators (1838 through 1910)

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Bibliography

Barnard, J. "Fred" (illustrator). Charles Dickens's Nicholas Nickleby, with fifty-nine illustrations. The Works of Charles Dickens: The Household Edition. 22 vols. London: Chapman and Hall, 1875. Volume 15. Rpt. 1890.

Barnard, Fred, et al.. Scenes and Characters from Dickens. London: Chapman & Hall, 1908.

Dickens, Charles. Nicholas Nickleby. Illustrated by F. O. C. Darley and John Gilbert. The Works of Charles Dickens. The Household Edition. 55 vols. New York: Sheldon and Company, 1862. Vols. 1-4.

_______. The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby. With fifty-two illustrations by C. S. Reinhart. The Household Edition. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1875. I.

_______. Nicholas Nickleby. With 39 illustrations by Hablot K. Browne ("Phiz"). London: Chapman & Hall, 1839.

_______. Nicholas Nickleby. Illustrated by Harry Furniss. The Charles Dickens Library Edition. 18 vols. London: Educational Book, 1910. IV.

Houfe, Simon. The Dictionary of Nineteenth-Century British Book Illustrators and Caricaturists. Woodbridge, Suffolk: Antique Collectors' Club, 1978.

Pennell, Joseph. The Adventures of An Illustrator Mostly in Following His Authors in America and Europe. Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1925.

Created 20 December 2019

Last modified 1 September 2021

Table of Plates for Charles Stanley Reinhart's Illustrations for Dickens's "Nicholas Nickleby" (1876)

Related material by other illustrators (1838 through 1910)

Bibliography