Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

6WS Lewis Carroll. Illustrated by John Tenniel. London: Macmillan and Co., 1866. True First Edition

Notes

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, first published in 1865, is the celebrated work by Lewis Carroll, telling the story of a young girl, Alice, who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantastical world governed by illogical rules, curious creatures, and shifting realities. The tale originated from stories Carroll told to Alice Liddell and her sisters during a boating trip on the River Thames, later expanded into the novel. Blending playful nonsense with subtle satire, the work explores themes of identity, language, and the instability of meaning, presenting a dreamlike narrative that challenges conventional storytelling while retaining a sense of charm and wonder.

Lewis Carroll (1832–1898), the pen name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, was an English mathematician, logician, and writer whose dual interests in logic and imagination shaped his literary work. A lecturer at Christ Church, Oxford, Carroll brought a precise yet inventive mind to his writing, creating works that balance mathematical playfulness with narrative creativity. Though he produced other writings, including Through the Looking-Glass, it is Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland that secured his lasting literary reputation, reflecting both his intellectual curiosity and his unique approach to storytelling.

The illustrations by John Tenniel are integral to the identity and success of the work, providing definitive visual representations of its characters and scenes. Tenniel, already well known for his work as a political cartoonist for Punch, brought clarity, humor, and precision to his drawings, which complemented Carroll’s text and helped anchor its more fantastical elements. His images of the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, and the Queen of Hearts have become inseparable from the story itself, shaping how generations of readers visualize Wonderland.

The legacy of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is vast, standing as one of the most influential works in children’s literature and a cornerstone of imaginative fiction. Its innovative use of language, logic, and absurdity has inspired countless adaptations, interpretations, and scholarly studies. The first printing of 1865, though famously withdrawn due to concerns over the quality of Tenniel’s illustrations, remains a point of particular interest to collectors, with the corrected and reissued 1866 edition often regarded as the true first widely circulated edition. Together, the work’s literary significance and its notable early printing history contribute to its enduring importance and desirability.

Description

Original red canvas binding with gilt illustrations on upper and lower boards of Alice and the Cheshire Cat respectively. Gilt lettering to spine and three line gilt boarders to boards. Illustrated throughout by John Tenniel. Dampstaining to upper and lower boards with some darkened spots. Sun fading to spine and general wear to entirety of binding. Moderate edge wear and all points softened with points frayed. Some beginning of separation to upper hinge but still fully intact. Inscription to preliminary black fly leaf “Darling [] from a loving mother and father Xmas 1865” 

Date on inscription is when the original printing of Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland was completed while the title page features the date 1866 which is considered to be the true first edition. This printing includes two mistakes on the contents page notable in the true first edition; Upside down ‘s’ in ‘Alice’s’ on final line of the contents page, page number ‘67’ in place of page number ‘76’ on the line of Chapter six, Pig and Pepper.