Invitation to a "Ball to be given in honor of Mr. Charles Dickens" from the New York Public Library, Berg Collection of English and American Literature
I just read today’s Writer’s Almanac, which described New York City’s “Boz Ball,” a Valentine’s Day tribute to Dickens while on his first American tour. Part of the description:
“The Boz Ball was unprecedented. Thousands of dollars were spent on decorations. There was a bust of Dickens with a bald eagle hanging above it, holding a laurel wreath. There were huge banners, decorated with scenes from his books. There were elaborate displays to represent each state. The New Yorkers were dressed in their finest. People had trouble dancing because there was simply not enough room, but they did it anyway, and the dances alternated with performances from Dickens’ books.”
This was before the publication of A Christmas Carol, Great Expectations, or David Copperfield, but Dickens had already endeared himself to Americans with Pickwick Papers and The Old Curiosity Shop.
Source for image: http://www.fathom.com/course/21701768/s3_4a.html
Reading Dickens 