Dickens at Dimbola exhibition opened by Charles’ great-great-grandson

Ian Dickens, the great-great-grandson of the literary author, Charles Dickens, has opened a photographic exhibition of his famous relative’s story, through the medium of Victorian colour at Dimbola Museum & Galleries, Freshwater Bay.

The exhibition, which continues until May 19, before transferring around the Island, includes a film by Jamie Langton entitled ‘Dickens Island’. Technicolour Dickens was originally commissioned in 2020, to mark the 150th anniversary of the novelist’s death.

The museum has brought the exhibition to the Island to coincide with the 175 years since the publication of David Copperfield, partially written whilst the author was staying at Bonchurch. Ian said: “My history with Dimbola goes back to 1992, when the building was going to be demolished. Thankfully, the funds were raised to save it.

“These images were taken in black and white, around the same time as Julia Margaret Cameron, who lived at Dimbola, was taking her famous photographs.

“These have been digitally enhanced and colourised, and the colours match the clothes Charles wore at the time.

“In one photo, he is wearing the Gordon Tartan, so we know the exact colour of that clothing. In another portrait, his face has been reddened because he was out walking in all weathers and he was known to be weather-beaten.”

The exhibition has been sponsored and promoted by the Daisy Rich Trust and Hovertravel.