The Pickwick Papers The Pickwick Papers The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club (also known as The Pickwick Papers) was Charles Dickens's first novel. He was asked to contribute to the project as an up-and-coming writer following the success of "Sketches by Boz", published in 1836 (most of Dickens' novels were issued in shilling instalments before being published as complete volumes). Dickens (still writing under the pseudonym of Boz) increasingly took over the unsuccessful monthly publication after the original illustrator Robert Seymour had committed suicide. With the introduction of Sam Weller in chapter 10, the book became the first real publishing phenomenon, with
Samuel A. Weller Dickens." From 1898–1900 Weller employed Albert Radford, who is credited with developing Weller Matt ware. Jacques Sicard and Henri Gellie designed artware for Weller from 1901–1907; they kept their processes secret from Weller for making the Sicardo line of metallic luster glazing (called "Reflets Metalliques"). According to one source, "the professional and personal relationship between Weller and Sicard was turbulent." Frederick Hurten Rhead worked for Weller from mid-1903–1904, with the Jap Birdimal line, the L'Art Nouveau line, and the third Dickens line. Weller realized there was "more prestige than profit" in the art pottery lines that required hand decorating. He