George Belmore in 'Pickwick'

A carte-de-visite portrait of the actor George Belmore (1828-1875), seen here as the character Sam Weller in James Albery's Pickwick, a four-act adaptation of The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens, which proved popular with audiences at the Lyceum in 1871, with Henry Irving in the cast as the engaging trickster Alfred Jingle.

In the novel's tenth chapter, the eponymous hero Mr Pickwick meets Sam Weller working at the White Hart Inn in London's Borough and takes him on as a personal servant and companion on his travels. The relationship between the idealistic and unworldly Pickwick and the astute cockney Weller has been likened to that between Don Quixote and Sancho Panza.

George Belmore died in New York in 1875.

'He had been seriously ill, as was announced in our American intelligence a short time previously, but no apprehensions had been entertained of a fatal result. The loss to the English stage of this excellent actor was regretted when he made the arrangements, despite the severe legal restraints imposed, to accept the offer of the theatrical agents from the United States. Now we feel he can indeed never return to us, recollections of the thoroughly artistic portraitures with which he has enriched the histrionic gallery of modern playgoers become more vividly recalled. Mr George Benjamin Garstin, professionally known as George Belmore, had been on the Metropolitan boards for about twenty-three years. His first recognised appearance as a comedian was made at the Marylebone Theatre on Boxing Night, 1856, when he appeared as Rokes in Mr Shirley Brook's drama of The Creole; or, Love's Fetters. [...] The last character Mr Belmore played in this country was Newman Noggs in Nicholas Nickleby at the Adelphi, which he acted till the end of July, when he left for America, thus evading the injunction obtained from the Vice-Chancellor, and rendering himself liable to proceedings for contempt of court. An admirable photograph of Mr Belmore is included in the collection of the Stereoscopic Company, and those who would preserve a faithful likeness of an excellent actor should obtain a copy at that establishment. Mr George Belmore was married at Tottenham on the 16th of April, 1862, to Miss Alice Maud Cooke, daughter of Mr William Cooke, previously Proprietor of Astley's Amphitheatre. The greatest sympathy is everywhere expressed for his widow and children, left in this country to mourn a loss which it is to be feared brings with it more than a deep feeling of domestic sorrow' (The Era, 21 November 1875).

Photographed by London Stereoscopic and Photographic Company.