Guide to the Frederic G. Kitton Papers, 1886-1903

A writer noted for his work on Charles Dickens, Frederic George Kitton was born in Norwich, England, in 1856. He moved to London at the age of 17 and served as an apprentice on the staff of the Graphic. A skilled etcher, he contributed to artistic journals before beginning to write.

Kitton was the author of memoirs of Hablot K. Browne, John Leech, and of his (Kitton's) father, but most of his published works relate to the life and works of Charles Dickens. They include: Dickensiana : A Bibliography of the Literature Relating to Charles Dickens and His Writings (1886) and Charles Dickens :  His Life, His Writings, and Personality (1901). He also annotated the "Rochester" edition of Dicken's  Works, and published his previously uncollected tales. As one of the founders of the Dickens Fellowship, Kitton compiled the catalogue of their 1903 exhibition. His Dickensian library was purchased by the Fellowship and donated to the Guildhall Library. While living at St. Albans (1888-1904), Kitton helped the Hertfordshire County Museum acquire and catalog the Sir John Evans collection.

In 1889, Kitton married Emily Clara Lawford; they had no children. He died at St. Albans in 1904.

The collection includes letters, clippings, and printed material. The letters are from other Dickensian illustrators, including Edmund H. New and William Rainey, and from Walter R. Pollock, editor of The Saturday Review. Other principal correspondents include: Henry Marriott Paget, T. Edgar Pemberton and N.H. Spielman. Also included are a letter from Dickens to Mrs. Colden, and one letter from Dickens' daughter Kate Perugini to Charles Sessler. The collection was described at sale as having "interesting odd bits of Dickens lore."