Photograph of Charles Dickens seated and facing the viewer. He rests his right hand on a book on the table next to him. His left arm rests on the back of his chair. A statue also stands on the table.

This portrait of Charles Dickens was taken by John Watkins (1823–74) and Octavius Charles Watkins (1836–82). Together they were known as the Watkins Brothers, and were related to George Herbert Watkins (b. 1828), another famous London photographer, who is credited with taking portraits of Dickens in the 1850s. This carte-de-visite of Dickens was on sale at a time when there was an insatiable demand from the general public for photographic images of eminent and popular figures. Small and affordable, they were collected and traded in large quantities. It is not known whether Queen Victoria, who assembled a large collection of cartes-de-visite, received this as a gift or acquired it by purchase.

This object was displayed at the Charles Dickens Reception at Buckingham Palace, 2012.