Palmer first met Dickens on either the 17th or 18th March, 1846. He was originally asked to do twelve vignettes for the work, to be published in book form by Bradbury & Evans later that year, but the number was eventually reduced to four. These are said to be Samuel Palmer's first drawings executed upon the wood-block, intended for book-illustrations: "Those who are familiar with the freedom and vigour of Samuel Palmer's work from Nature will realise at a glance that he was not at ease upon wood ... Palmer subsequently learnt by experience that his drawing on wood was practically untranslatable [onto wood-block] ... he preferred to offer it for engraving." (Frederick G. Kitton. Dickens and his Illustrators)

Dickens dedicated the final number of the Cheap Edition of "Pickwick" to Mr. Serjeant Talfourd [Sir Thomas Noon Talfourd (1795-1854)] in memory of his speech to the House of Commons on the copyright bill which he introduced in 1837. [DNB. Storey and Fielding p. 65n].