Happy 210th birthday to Charles Dickens – made in Portsmouth | Nostalgia

Two hundred and ten years ago today Charles Dickens was born in the house you see below in what is now Old Commerical Road.

To mark the occasion we’ve come up with some of the engravings used to illustrate his work plus a couple of photos from our archive.

Circa 1839:  A scene from Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens.  A cheering audience throws floral bouquets on to a stage.  Illustration - Phiz. Picture: Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images).placeholder image
Circa 1839: A scene from Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens. A cheering audience throws floral bouquets on to a stage. Illustration - Phiz. Picture: Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images).

A message from the editor, Mark Waldron.

Subscribe here for unlimited access to all our coverage, including Pompey, for just 26p a day.

Related topics:
News you can trust since 1877
Follow us
© 2026 Iconic Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice