Charles Dickens commemorated with stamps Lost portrait of Charles Dickens re-discovered by Philip Mould & Company to appear on new stamp
To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the death of Charles Dickens, the Post Office has published a set of six stamps.
They feature five engravings from his book A Christmas Carol and a miniature portrait of the author from the same period as the book was written.
The highest value stamp features the 'lost portrait' of Charles Dickens, depicting the literary star at the age of 31. The painting was lost for more than 130 years, and recently turned up in a box of trinkets in South Africa.
Art dealers Philip Mould and Company formally re-identified the portrait and it now resides in the Charles Dickens Museum, London.
Cindy Sughrue, director of the Charles Dickens Museum, said: 'Considering that Margaret Gillies' portrait of Dickens was lost for over 130 years, it's quite something to see it presented so beautifully on a stamp.'
Actor Simon Callow, patron of the Charles Dickens Museum, said: 'I am really very happy to be returning to the Charles Dickens Museum, one of my absolute favourite places on earth, to support the launch of this splendid suite of stamps.
View the Charles Dickens: The Lost Portrait exhibition page here.
