Books

First published editions of both Alice books, the copy of Wonderland being a presentation inscribed by the author to the distinguished illustrator and potential collaborator on Looking-Glass, Richard Doyle (1824-1883) on the half-title: "R. Doyle, Esq., from C L Dodgson". Copies signed by the author with his actual name are rare. Dodgson used the blank pages of one of his diaries to record the names of people to receive a presentation copy of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. These lists include 19 names for "Presentation Copies of Alice Party at Croft Rectory Common Room, Ch[rist] Ch[urch" and Doyle appears in the company of Tennyson, Tenniel, and Tauchnitz (Diaries, p. 25). Wakeling notes that most of the inscribed copies of Alice "have the inscription '... from the Author' and rarely contain a date" (Diaries, p. 18). With reference to illustrations, Dodgson "had proved so exact, and exacting, as a critic of the way his requirements were carried out, that Tenniel, when approached about the illustrations for Through the Looking-Glass, declared he was too busy" (Williams, Madan, Green, Crutch, p. 63). Dodgson appealed to Tenniel, who suggested Richard Doyle. Accordingly, Dodgson wrote to him on 22 January 1867. The initial approach was apparently promising for Dodgson recorded in his diary that, on 24 January 1867 he "called on Doyle, and his discussed the idea of his illustrating [Through the Looking-Glass, and What] Alice [Found There]. He seems willing to undertake it, but not certain that he could get them done for next Xmas. We left the matter unsettled for the present" (Diaries, p. 192). Nothing would, eventually, result from this and "Tenniel was approached again, with the result that, in the end, he once more shouldered the task" (Williams, Madan, Green, Crutch, p. 63). Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is the first published edition and the second overall: the book was originally printed in Oxford at the Clarendon Press in June 1865, but was suppressed when Dodgson heard that John Tenniel, the book's illustrator, was dissatisfied with the quality of the printing. It was withdrawn before publication and now survives in tiny numbers. The book was entirely reset by Richard Clay for the present authorized Macmillan edition. Although dated 1866, the edition was ready by November 1865, in time for the Christmas market, and was published in a print run of 4,000. The copy of Through the Looking-Glass is the first edition; like its predecessor, it was published for the Christmas market and bears the following year's date in its imprint. It was published in December 1871, in an edition of 9,000 copies. Provenance: Wonderland: Sotheby's, 1-2 November 1937, lot 63; Puttick & Simpson, 28 July 1938, lot 89, sold to "Marks". Wonderland and Looking-Glass: Max Charles Gaines (1894-1947); Stephen and Nancy Farber. READ MORE Two volumes, octavo (187 x 120 mm and 178 x 121 mm). Finely bound in mid-20th century red morocco, spines lettered and with designs in gilt, raised bands, covers with ruled borders together with butterfly, bee, and floral design (adapted from publisher's device) in gilt, gilt dentelles, marbled endpapers, gilt edges. Original spine and covers bound at rear. Housed in a custom red cloth slipcase. Illustrated frontispieces, and illustrations to the text, all by John Tenniel. Bookplates to verso of front free endpapers of M. C. Gaines. Very short tear to half-title of Wonderland with professional repair, occasional foxing, some minor abrasions to covers, slipcase worn; a near-fine set. Williams, Madan, Green & Crutch 46 & 84; Edward Wakeling, Lewis Carroll's Diaries, Vol. 5, 1999.

"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.