- 30
Carroll, Lewis [Dodgson, Charles Lutwidge]
Description
- Exercise book detailing names and addresses for recipients of The Nursery Alice
- PAPER
Provenance
Condition
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
Dodgson’s listing, here, presents names and (mostly) addresses for recipients of the book. The first thirteen pages are dated 21 June 1889, one page is dated 2 July 1889 and the final four pages are undated. The key to symbols includes notes as to whether a recipient had a copy “sent from London”, “sent from Oxford” and whether “entered in Letter-Register”. (The reference is to Dodgson’s own register of letters which he started in his late 20s and which he kept for the rest of his life. The register no longer survives, but is thought to have recorded more than 98,000 sent and received letters.)
The listing commences with family copies (“The Misses Dodgson”, “Mrs Collingwood”, “Miss Irene Dodgson”, etc.) before an alphabetical sequence. Mrs Hargreaves is at number 34 with an additional note of “morocco”. This has been crossed through. Miss M. Van der Gucht, the dedicatee of the book, is at number 83. She similarly has an additional note of “morocco” which is crossed through. A number of Lewis Carroll’s books had been specially bound in white morocco for presentation but such a binding was, apparently, not realised for The Nursery Alice. Copies 94 through to 121 are additional names outside the alphabetical sequence.
The listing is within a 40 page exercise book. One page includes a page of algebra questions (in black ink), not in Dodgson’s hand. This has been crossed through in purple ink.