Books

First Rackham edition, limited issue, number 357 of 1,130 copies, signed by the artist. Rackham was unavailable to sign copies of this issue prior to publication, and copies with his signature on the limitation page are extremely rare. The copyright of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland expired in 1907, and several publishers issued newly illustrated editions. However, the book was "so completely identified with the drawings by John Tenniel that it seemed to many critics almost blasphemous for anyone to attempt to prepare alternatives" (Hudson, pp. 70-2). Rackham's is one of the few editions that has endured, and his illustrations easily stand comparison with the original drawings. Shortly after publication Rackham received a letter in which a stranger praised his work: "your delightful Alice is alive and makes by contrast Tenniel's Alice look a stiff wooden puppet" (Hudson, p. 72). For the first time for Rackham's books, his illustrated plates were distributed at the appropriate places throughout the text, rather than gathered at the end as they had been in Rip Van Winkle (1905) and Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens (1906). Octavo. Original white cloth, spine and front cover lettered and with vignettes in gilt, illustrated endpapers, top edge gilt. Colour frontispiece and 12 colour plates, with captioned tissue guards, black and white illustrations in the text, all by Rackham. Spine a little toned and binding with some light soiling (as usual), two minor creases to plates, occasional browning (as usual), rear hinge splitting: a very good copy. Latimore & Haskell, p. 29; Riall, p. 77; Derek Hudson, Arthur Rackham, His Life and Work, 1975.

"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.