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First published edition of Carroll's enormously influential work of fantasy literature, presentation copy, inscribed by the illustrator John Tenniel on the half-title, "With [Tenniel's monogram] kind regards, Xmas. 1867", together with a pencil drawing of the Mad Hatter. One of only two copies of this title recorded as having a Tenniel drawing as part of the inscription. As part of his 1990 work on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Justin G. Schiller provided a census of Tenniel's original drawings to the Alice books. Section 4 of this comprised "Drawings made by Tenniel as part of Inscriptions in Books" and listed only five examples of "authentic Tenniel drawings done inside printed books at the time the artist inscribed them, either as gifts or on commission". The census noted three copies of Through the Looking-Glass but only two copies of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. This present copy is listed as item 4b. The drawing measures 65 x 34 mm and comprises a reverse image of the woodcut appearing on p. 170. It shows the Mad Hatter with tea-cup and toast. This drawing was reproduced in Frances Sarzano's 1948 monograph entitled Sir John Tenniel in the "English Masters of Black-and-White" series. The book was originally printed in Oxford at the Clarendon Press in June 1865, but Dodgson heard that Tenniel was dissatisfied with its quality, so he suppressed the whole edition of 2,000 copies. The book was entirely reset by Richard Clay for this present First published edition of Carroll's enormously influential work of fantasy literature, presentation copy, inscribed by the illustrator John Tenniel on the half-title, "With [Tenniel's monogram] kind regards, Xmas. 1867", together with a pencil drawing of the Mad Hatter. One of only two copies of this title recorded as having a Tenniel drawing as part of the inscription. As part of his 1990 work on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Justin G. Schiller provided a census of Tenniel's original drawings to the Alice books. Section 4 of this comprised "Drawings made by Tenniel as part of Inscriptions in Books" and listed only five examples of "authentic Tenniel drawings done inside printed books at the time the artist inscribed them, either as gifts or on commission". The census noted three copies of Through the Looking-Glass but only two copies of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. This present copy is listed as item 4b. The drawing measures 65 x 34 mm and comprises a reverse image of the woodcut appearing on p. 170. It shows the Mad Hatter with tea-cup and toast. This drawing was reproduced in Frances Sarzano's 1948 monograph entitled Sir John Tenniel in the "English Masters of Black-and-White" series. The book was originally printed in Oxford at the Clarendon Press in June 1865, but Dodgson heard that Tenniel was dissatisfied with its quality, so he suppressed the whole edition of 2,000 copies. The book was entirely reset by Richard Clay for this present edition which, although dated 1866, was ready by November 1865, in time for the Christmas market. The unused Oxford sheets were sold to Appleton's for their New York edition, published the following summer. The Macmillan edition was published in an edition of 4,000 copies. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is "especially demonstrative of the fantasy genre; Alice, a stranger to Wonderland, realises the fantastical nature of the world that surrounds her and must constantly work to navigate and understand it" (Carter). The work was "enormously influential, bringing about a sea change in children's fantasy and mounting a defiant opposition to the didactic tendencies of Victorian children's literature" (Stableford, p. 63). Provenance: H. M. Lingford (acknowledged by Sarzano); Sotheby's, 6 November 1951, lot 201, sold to "Commin"; Stephen and Nancy Farber. READ MORE Octavo. Original red cloth, spine lettered in gilt, covers with pictorial roundels and triple rules in gilt, pale blue endpapers, gilt edges. Housed in a custom brown cloth slipcase. Frontispiece with tissue-guard and 41 illustrations by John Tenniel. Rebacked preserving original spine, binding somewhat worn and soiled, some leaves with minor tears or nicks, small abrasion to half-title, paper restoration to some leaves, coloring to illustration on p. 188, hinges strengthened: a very good copy. Williams, Madan, Green and Crutch 46. Leighton Carter, "Which way? Which way?": The Fantastical Inversions of Alice in Wonderland, 2007; Frank N. Magill, Survey of Modern Fantasy Literature, I, pp. 7-16; Printing and the Mind of Man 354; Justin G. Schiller.

"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.