[Carroll--Dodgson], the author's magnifying glass

[CARROLL, LEWIS]--DODGSON, CHARLES LUTWIDGE

Magnifying Glass

REPUTED WITHIN THE COLLINGWOOD FAMILY TO HAVE BEEN LEWIS CARROLL'S, convex glass lens (diameter 83mm.) mounted in metal frame with turned fruitwood handle and all within removable leather pouch, some scratches to lens, pouch worn with loss to stitching

In their introduction to Lewis Carroll and His Illustrators (Ithaca, 2003), Morton N. Cohen and Edward Wakeling provide a short description of Lewis Carroll and note ‘…he wore no spectacles, although he frequently used a magnifying glass’ (see p. xvii-xviii).

Carroll regularly inspected illustrations under a magnifying-glass. Writing to Harry Furniss on 1 September 1887, Lewis Carroll provided a lengthy set of critical comments on the artist’s illustrations for Sylvie and Bruno and noted ‘…some writer says that the full face of a spider, as seen under a magnifying-glass, is very striking.’ Collingwood was aware of this comment as he includes it in The Life and Letters of Lewis Carroll (London, 1898), (see p. 261).

Another letter to Furniss, dated 21 October 1893 states ‘…on further examination, with a magnifying-glass, of this drawing, I find that Bruno has a waist…’ and ‘If you look through a magnifying-glass, you will see that the “hind-quarters” still show very plainly…’ (see Lewis Carroll and His Illustrators (Ithaca, 2003), p. 224).

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