Books

Strikingly bound in heavy, sturdy woven multi-colored pictorial cloth boards stamped in yellow, white, blue, green; and with bright gilt lettering on the front boards and on the spine. Top edges gilded. With bevelled boards and a wonderful pictorial front board painting featuring Alice and the Duchess in a long flowing yellow satin gown. Fraying and wear to the top and bottom of the spine ends and the corners. The top two corners are slightly bumped. With a tiny pinprick tear in the middle of the spine cloth just below the title panel. The hinges are tender but holding nicely. With "Loving wishes for a happy birthday from Auntie Douglas, 1909," inscribed in ink on the half-title page. The entire book is printed on heavy white stock which takes the glorious color plates in sharp register. A very handsome copy of this scarce edition of Alice. Re: The Illustrations The manuscript was illustrated by Carroll himself who added 37 illustrations printed in a facsimile edition in 1887.[21] John Tenniel provided 42 wood-engraved illustrations for the published version of the book.[63] The first print run was destroyed (or sold to the US[64]) at Carroll's request because he was dissatisfied with the quality. There are only 22 known first edition copies in existence.[63] The book was reprinted and published in 1866.[21] Tenniel's detailed black-and-white drawings remain the definitive depiction of the characters.[65] Tenniel s illustrations of Alice do not portray the real Alice Liddell,[42] who had dark hair and a short fringe. Alice has provided a challenge for other illustrators, including those of 1907 by Charles Pears and the full series of colour plates and line-drawings by Harry Rountree published in the (inter-War) Children's Press (Glasgow) edition. Other significant illustrators include: Arthur Rackham (1907), Willy Pogany (1929), Mervyn Peake (1946), Ralph Steadman (1967), Salvador Dal� (1969), Graham Overden (1969), Max Ernst (1970), Peter Blake (1970), Tove Jansson (1977), Anthony Browne (1988), Helen Oxenbury (1999),[66] and Lisbeth Zwerger (1999). (Wikipedia) Circa 1908, published in London. The first edition, thus, with the Rountree illustrations and color plates.

"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" follows the escapades of a curious young girl named Alice, who, while bored on a riverbank, spots a white rabbit in a waistcoat. She follows it down a rabbit hole and finds herself in a whimsical world. Throughout her journey, Alice encounters peculiar characters like the hookah-smoking Caterpillar, the grinning Cheshire Cat, and the Mad Hatter hosting a nonsensical tea party. She experiences a series of transformations, shrinking and growing, as she navigates through the bizarre landscapes and meets creatures like the March Hare and the Dormouse. The Queen of Hearts, with her penchant for ordering beheadings, adds a touch of absurdity to the already surreal environment. Alice grapples with the nonsensical rules of Wonderland, engaging in peculiar conversations that highlight the absurd logic of this fantastical realm. As she tries to find her way home, she faces challenges, solves riddles, and discovers that the reality of Wonderland often defies logic. Ultimately, Alice's adventures culminate in her realizing that the world she encountered was a dream. She wakes up on the riverbank, pondering the strange and wonderful events she experienced in Wonderland, leaving readers with a blend of imagination, whimsy, and thought-provoking absurdity. Carroll's tale remains a classic exploration of childhood, curiosity, and the unpredictable nature of dreams.