Lewis Carroll, John Tenniel

Alice in color for younger readers, by Lewis Carroll with illustrations by John Tenniel and cover art by E. Gertrude Thomson.

• Lewis Carroll (English).
• Illustrated by John Tenniel (English).
• Cover art by E. Gertrude Thomson (English).
• London: Macmillan, 1890.
• 56 pages.
• Color frontispiece with tissue guard, 19 color illustrations.
• Bound in the original cloth-backed color pictorial boards, price four shillings on title page.

First published edition (the second produced edition overall) of this color-illustrated Alice for young children, with the Carroll-approved color images of Tenniel's original illustrations.

In 1889, Lewis Carroll adapted his beloved Alice In Wonderland for younger readers as The Nursery Alice. With picture-loving children in mind, he suggested that Macmillan use color-printed illustrations in this edition, and enlisted his close collaborator John Tenniel to add color to his earlier designs. However, when he received the proofs, Carroll was aghast: "The pictures are far too bright and gaudy, and vulgarize the whole thing," he lamented, "NONE must be sold in England" (Lovett, 36). Carroll suggested that Macmillan offload the offending copies to their American offices, and demanded the printer produce another edition "with Tenniel's coloured pictures before him" (Lovett, 36).]

This copy of The Nursery Alice reflects Carroll's editorial input, with the colors duly toned down. Given the target audience and poor quality of the binding materials for this production, copies are rarely found today in decent condition.