Justus D. Barnes Peggotty in "David Copperfield", the earliest known film adaption of the 1850 novel by Charles Dickens. He also played supporting roles in "Nicholas Nickleby" (1912), "Aurora Floyd" (1912), and "A Dog of Flanders" (1914). In 1917, he was released from the Thanhouser Company due to the company's financial issues. Barnes made his final onscreen appearance for the Edison Studio in "Cy Whittaker's Ward", in 1917. After retiring from acting, Barnes moved to Weedsport, New York where he worked as a milkman. He later owned a cigar store. Barnes died on February 6, 1946 in Weedsport at the age of 83.
Racism in the work of Charles Dickens mistake has been made again and again; and the moment the white man has appeared in the new aspect of being weaker than the savage, the savage has changed and sprung upon him." Explorer John Rae disputed with Dickens in two rebuttals (also published in "Household Words"). Rae defended the Inuit as "a bright example to civilized people" and compared them favourably to the undisciplined crew of Franklin. Keal writes that Rae was no match for "Dickens the story teller", one of Lady Franklin's "powerful friends", to the English he was a Scot who wasn't "pledged to the patriotic, empire-building