Carroll, Lewis | "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass"

Carroll, Lewis 

First editions of the author's essential works

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. London: Macmillan and Co. 1866. 8vo (196 x 127 mm). Half-title, 42 wood-engraved illustrations after John Tenniel including frontispiece with tissue guard, inverted "S" in the last line of contents page. Red morocco gilt by Sangorski and Sutcliffe, original cloth covers and spine bound in at end; minimal wear to joints. [With:] An Easter Greeting to Every Child Who Loves "Alice", pamphlet tipped in — Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There. London: Macmillan and Co. 1872. 8vo (186 x 125 mm). Half-title, 50 wood-engraved illustrations after John Tenniel including frontispiece with tissue guard, "wade" instead of "wave" on p. 21, publisher's advertisement at end. Original cloth gilt; spine a little sunned and soiled, gilt a little rubbed. [With:] Additional advertisement, 1893, tipped in.

First editions of Carroll's classics. Presentation copy of the first work from S.H. Dodgson, the author's brother.

Skeffington Hume Dodgson was the brother of Lewis Carroll. Ordained deacon in 1865, he held various curacies until 1895 when he became vicar of Vowchurch in Herefordshire. Alice Adventures in Wonderland was gifted by him to Roseberry Staveley of Old Sleningford, Ripon, North Yorkshire.

While the present edition of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is technically the second edition, it is the first published edition. The first edition of 2,000 was recalled by Dodgson, following the unsatisfactory printing of Tenniel's illustrations, and was never offered for public sale. This copy is in the first state, with the inverted "S" in the last line of contents page. For this new edition the book was re-set by the printer Richard Clay from a copy of the 1865 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (prepared by The Clarendon Press, Oxford); it is this version which formed the basis for all future Macmillan editions. With the first edition, first issue (with "wade" on p. 21) of Through the Looking-Glass.

PROVENANCE:

Roseberry Staveley (presentation inscription from S.H. Dodgson, Jan 29 1866, to half-title of Alice's Adventures) — Private Collection, New York (bookplates, letter from Arthur Pforzheimer, April 6 1938, identifying S.H. Dodgson) (acquired by descent from the above) — Thence by descent to the present owner