Thank you for reading and checking out my eBay store, TheNextPhase (seller id: bmwlover). I’m a top-rated eBay seller selling off much of the items I have collected in 30+ years of collecting, including some of my rare book collection that has been in my personal library.
Up for sale on this auction…
Alice’s Adventures under Ground by Lewis Carroll Limited Edition #1737 of 3750
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was created by Lewis Carroll for a young friend, Alice Liddell, in memory of a happy summer’s day in which he made up the stories to entertain her and her sisters as they rowed up the river. He carefully wrote out his tale, complete with rhymes and songs, by hand, illustrating it with his own vivid drawings. Giving it the title Alice’s Adventures under Ground, he had it bound in leather and in 1864, presented it as a Christmas gift to Alice. In 1946 it was returned to England from an American private collection and is now in the British Library Add. MS. 46700.
In 2008 the Folio Society published a Limited Edition facsimile copy of the original, accompanied by an essay, “The Original Alice”, by Sally Brown, curator of Modern Literary Manuscripts at the Britis Library. It is presented in a box inset with a reproduction of a photograph of Alice Liddell taken by Lewis Carroll.
Features:
Condition: Fine – Superb Unmarked Copy
**** RARE & SOLD OUT ****
Generations have grown up with characters like the Mad Hatter, the Mock Turtle and the Cheshire Cat, and Alice is equally treasured for its wordplay, its humor and its surreal whimsy. Yet this famous story also exists in an earlier version, personally produced by Lewis Carroll as a Christmas gift for a little girl named Alice Liddell. The Folio Society is proud to publish a facsimile of this priceless manuscript, in a beautifully produced limited edition.
THE FASCINATING ORGINS OF THE CLASSIC: The origins of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland are as enchanting as the story itself. We can picture the scene… It is 4 July 1862, and a small party is rowing down the Isis river at Oxford. The Reverend Robinson Duckworth is manning the oars, and with him is Charles Dodgson – later known as Lewis Carroll - tutor in mathematics at Christ Church. Also in the boat are Alice Liddell, aged 10, and her sisters Edith and Lorina. As they drift down the river, Dodgson tells the girls a story - of a little girl named Alice, who falls down a rabbit-hole to a strange land under ground. Over the next two years Dodgson painstakingly wrote out his tale by hand, illustrating it with his own vivid and imaginative drawings. He gave it the title Alice’s Adventures under Ground, had it bound in Morocco leather, and presented it to Alice Liddell in November 1864, with the inscription: ‘A Christmas gift to a dear child, in memory of a summer’s day’ LEWIS CARROLL. A unique insight into Carroll’s vision: Reading this early version gives us a fascinating insight into the origins of one of the most famous stories ever told. Alice’s Adventures under Ground is recognizably the story we know, but it takes unexpected turns. Following the swim in the pool of tears, Alice and the creatures go to a small cottage to get dry, rather than doing the Caucus-race, there is no Duchess but a Marchioness of Mock Turtles, and Alice plays croquet with an ostrich rather than a flamingo. Alice’s Adventures under Ground is both a captivating story in its own right, and a privileged glimpse into the creation of a classic. The manuscript is also remarkable for the 37 illustrations, some full-page, by Lewis Carroll’s own hand. He proves himself an artist of talent and imagination, representing his heroine in various fantastical forms: with a long-extended neck, grown to giant size, or swimming in the pool of tears. Friends who read the little book convinced Carroll that it must be published. The story was edited, expanded and renamed, and illustrated by John Tenniel – whose famous images clearly take many of their compositions from Carroll’s originals. Alice Liddell kept her Christmas gift for over 60 years. It then resided in American private collections for some years, until in 1946 it was returned to its homeland, in recognition of British gallantry during the Second World War. A group of delegates presented the manuscript to the British Museum, and it was accepted by the Archbishop of Canterbury on behalf of the nation. It is now one of the British Library’s most cherished literary treasures. Only 3,750 copies will be printed, each one numbered by hand on a special limitation page. ‘One of the greatest treasures on display in the British Library’s exhibition galleries’ Sally Brown, Curator of Modern Manuscripts, BRITISH LIBRARY 192pp... A physical description follows... Founded in 1947, The Folio Society applies the highest standards of design, binding, typography and illustration to commercially-produced books. Nearly sixty years on, they publish books that will stand the test of time, in handsome, imaginatively designed and beautifully made editions - a combination of quality and value that few publishers can match...
Stored as part of my personal library collection.
Stored in a smoke, pet free and temperature-controlled home library collection.
**** RARE & SOLD OUT ****
The Fine Print:
Please see all photos as they are considered part of the description of this listing (photos are of the actual book listed for sale, I never use stock photos). If you have any questions, feel free to message me (but please ask before bidding or purchasing). Payment is required at auction end; I only ship to a verified eBay address and not to another location. If you bid and win the auction, then fail to pay me within 4 days I will cancel your order and ban you from future purchases from my store.
I am not affiliated with any store, dealer or distributor, I am an individual collector selling off my private book collection among other things I have collected over decades. I describe each item I am selling to the best of my ability and strive for accuracy in my listings, so you know exactly what you are buying (nobody likes surprises, including me when purchasing something off eBay)! I have a 100% satisfaction rating as a Top-Rated eBay seller, and I am proud of it and stand behind everything I sell!
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