“Through the Looking Glass” - The World of “Alice in Wonderland'

by Roy Nuhn

There have been more than 100 editions of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, as well as more than a dozen films, many radio and television productions and countless theatrical performances, yet the story as told in two small books never fails to bring pleasure. Two of the greatest children's books of all time, the delightful and beguiling tale of a Victorian child deciphering her way through a nonsensical and fairy tale world has been translated into nearly 50 languages.

An Oxford Don &

His Crazy Tale

Our poor world would be poorer still had not a reserved, eccentric and shy Oxford don and mathematician by the name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (1832-1898) been possessed of a child's soul and heart, as well as the genius of a master storyteller.

Not only would we have lost the charming, if somewhat straight-laced Alice, but the wide-grinning Cheshire Cat, the always-late White Rabbit, the mad, mad Mad Hatter, and all the other delightful, off-beat personalities would be missing, also. As would be that crazy, wild tea party, the Lobster Quadrille and the Mock Turtle's story.

To be perfectly honest and frank, Alice's creator was a bit of an odd character himself. As Dodgson, most of those within the small academic world where he lived and taught found him a stiff pedagogue, virtually unapproachable. He lectured at Oxford for nearly a half-century and wrote abstruse pamphlets and books on mathematical puzzles, games, logic and analysis.

But as Lewis Carroll, whose friends were almost exclusively children, he was a magical spinner of delicious tales of humorous absurdities (underneath which lay profound piercing truths discernible only to their elders). Only in the company of children did he feel comfortable and completely at ease, his stammering no longer evident. With them he was always the spirit of Lewis Carroll. In the adult world he reverted back to being Dodgson, often even refusing to acknowledge being Carroll.

He cultivated the children of his associates. He became a great favorite of theirs. For them, Lewis Carroll constantly wove stories out of his imagination, and invented games and puzzles. Together they often staged fun-filled theatricals and tableaus, then all the rage.

Of all his little friends, Carroll got along best with the three Liddell girls, daughters of the Dean of Christ Church's Cathedral, who also lived in the Quadrangle. His favorite, though, was Alice, and for her he created a story that was destined to become a literary classic.

The Wonderful

"Alice" BookS

Lewis Carroll often took the girls holidaying and, on one hot, sunny Friday in 1862, he and a friend treated the Liddell girls to an outing in a rowboat meandering up and down a nearby river.

Alice asked Charles to tell them a story. And that he did, but what a story! The entire tale, made up by Carroll as he was telling it, was narrated in several episodes over the next couple of weeks - on the river, in the garden, after tea and in his study. When finished, Alice begged him to write it all down for her. He agreed and in due time presented her with a handprinted, bound book illustrated by his own drawings. That - or so Carroll thought - was the end of the "Alice" escapade.

But he was wrong. An author friend saw the manuscript and convinced Carroll to submit it for publication. He rewrote and reworked the piece, changing the original name to, first, Alice's Hour in Elfland, and then to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Dodgson used the pseudonym "Lewis Carroll," a name he had on occasion resorted to a few times before for frivolous works. Macmillan Co. instantly accepted the novel and hired the eminent artist, John Tenniel, to illustrate it. Tenniel is considered far and away the best of all Alice in Wonderland illustrators.

On July 5, 1865 - three years to the day when Lewis Carroll began telling Alice's story - the first edition of 2,000 copies went on sale. But John Tenniel objected so vehemently about the way his drawings were printed that the entire edition was recalled, save for a dozen or so copies already sold. A new edition, released in December of the same year but carrying an 1866 date, was acceptable to the temperamental artist.

The entire printing was sold out quickly and the book became an instant best seller and has never been out of print since. Adults as well as children quickly took to it.

The sequel, Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There, was published in 1871 and proved to be even a better seller than the first book.

The first American printing was in 1869. A much-favored edition is Peter Newell's 1901 rendition, a somewhat controversial interpretation of Alice and her friends. It had previously appeared as a monthly series in St. Nicholas Magazine prior to being sold as a special boxed edition during the Christmas season. The $3 price tag was considerably higher than the 60¢ to $2 most children's books sold for at the time.

Scores of artists on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean have lent their considerable talents to giving imagery to Alice and her fellow denizens. Notable among these, besides Tenniel and Newell, were Arthur Rackham, Margaret Tarrant, Charles Robinson, Mabel Lucie Atwell and A.L. Bowley.

Beginning in 1903, more than a dozen movie versions of Lewis Carroll's magical tale have been made. The classic is generally considered to be Paramount's 1933 epic with Charlotte Henry as Alice, Gary Cooper as the White Knight and W.C. Fields as Humpty Dumpty.

But for most of us, Walt Disney's 1951 "Alice in Wonderland" full-length animated film quickly comes to mind. Not among Disney's better motion pictures or much of a box office success, it changed Carroll's tempo and added some modern touches.

´Alice´ Collectibles

Almost from the beginning, there have been Alice in Wonderland novelties, souvenirs and mementos. However, our current craze had its beginning shortly after the arrival of the 20th century.

The Pictorial Review, January 1910, offered "The Sir John Tenniel Alice in Wonderland Paper Cut-Outs," the first of a four-part series on paper dolls. From 1915 to 1916, McCall's ran a lengthy series of "Alice" character cut-outs and, in 1911, Delineator Magazine offered "The Delineator Children's Theatre" presentation of "Alice in Wonderland," complete with script, scenery and characters. Many other periodicals and Sunday newspaper supplements had similar features.

The Lewis Carroll centenary, in 1932, spawned several book editions and a large amount of Alice in Wonderland collectibles throughout the English-speaking world. The London publishing house of W.C. Faulkner & Co., for instance, produced a set of six postcards (Series No. 1819) with drawings by K. Nixon.

From all but the earliest motion pictures, much film memorabilia such as posters, stills, promotional premiums and lobby cards is available at reasonable prices.

In this country, the 100th anniversary celebration of Dodgson's birth motivated Paramount Studios to film the "Alice in Wonderland" story for release in 1933. This, too, helped along the Alice rage. A tidal wave of material was manufactured and printed to meet the demand. Boxed games, paper dolls, crayons and pencils, tea sets, many toys, books of all types and other goods flowed from a seemingly bottomless cornucopia.

In 1950 and 1951, Disney added to the collecting enthusiasm by extensively selling licenses and rights here and abroad for tie-in merchandise to their animated film version. Every song sung in the motion picture was put on records, as well as onto sheet music. Also marketed were puzzles, coloring books, dolls, figurines, books, comic books, marionettes, comic strips and toys of every description.

The most priceless of all Alice collectibles are the numerous dolls sold since the mid-1930s. Most doll lines included at least one of Alice - they are also the most expensive and elusive.

And So We Leave Wonderland - Alice in Wonderland memorabilia is endless, so much so that most collectors have to specialize. The trail began a long time ago and continues through today and into tomorrow. Along the way there were many Alices, Mad Hatters and Cheshire Cats to be found.

©Roy NuhnE-MAIL: nejournl@mhcable.com 

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