Nearly 60 watercolours by English artist Paul Braddon - the pseudonym of James Leslie Crees - were uncovered earlier this year in the Dunedin Public Library Reed Collection by rare books librarian Anthony Tedeschi.
The paintings were hidden inside a set of large, nondescript grey cardboard folders tied with tape.
"If you saw them on the shelf, you'd never know what was in them," Mr Tedeschi said.
"Each folder had 'Haunts of Dickens' written on the front cover and eight or 10 watercolours inside."
The works depict scenes from many of Dickens' novels, including The Pickwick Papers, David Copperfield, Great Expectations and his final, unfinished novel, Edwin Drood.
They will be exhibited at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery next year, to mark the bicentenary of Dickens' birth on February 7, 1812.
"Dickens is one of the seminal figures in English literature and, with his 200th birthday being celebrated in February, it's a fantastic opportunity to show them off," Mr Tedeschi, who co-curated the exhibition, said.
The works were donated to the Dunedin Public Library in 1956 by New Zealand publisher, author and entrepreneur A.H. (Sir Alfred) Reed (1875-1975).
"He was working on the gumfields in the North Island with his father when he read David Copperfield and he was very inspired by that book, which is really Dickens' own, autobiographical account of how he bettered himself," Mr Tedeschi said.
"Reed taught himself shorthand, just like the character in the book did, and the rest, as they say, is history."
Dunedin art historian Peter Entwisle described the discovery of the 58 works as "very positive for Dunedin".
"It is a significant find and they would have a significant value - at least $100,000," he said.
Braddon (1864-1938) sold his works in England and the United States and they still realise more than 1000 each at auction.
Exhibition co-curator Lynda Cullen said showing the works was the perfect way to celebrate Dickens' upcoming birthday.
"It's a very exciting discovery, indeed. It's very rare to find something like this in Dunedin. I'd say they are quite rare in themselves. They're in remarkable condition, for their age."
Conservators spent six weeks ungluing and removing the watercolours from backing cardboard, which was not acid-free, and framing them.
"A.H. Reed was a Dickens nut and he left a good repository of Dickens' works," Ms Cullen said.
The exhibition will be accompanied by items from Dickensian times. A collection of rare Dickens first editions and 10 handwritten letters will also be displayed at the same time in the Reed Gallery at the Dunedin Public Library.
"Haunts of Dickens" will be exhibited at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery from February 4 to May 6.
Readings of Dickens works by David Corballis will be held in the gallery at 3pm every Sunday in February.
