Through The Looking-Glass, and what Alice found there -150 year anniversary

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

This site has been created to celebrate the publication of Lewis Carroll's book 150 years ago.

Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There was originally to be called 'Behind the looking-Glass and what Alice found there' before it was changed to 'Looking-Glass House and what Alice found there'. There was no decision made, so it was sent to press and proofs exist which indicate that Dodgson had intended to publish it under that title in 1870. There is in existence a sheet of paper in Dodgson's hand with eight variations of the title page. The book was originally conceived to have 42 illustrations rather than the 50 that appeared in the published first edition and there were to be eleven rather than the twelve chapters that were published. Several chapter titles were changed, for example; Chapter X was to be 'Waking' before it was divided into; 'Shaking' with Chapter XI as 'Waking' Dodgson had provided exact requirements for the layout so that Tenniel, when approached about doing the illustrations, said he was too busy. Noel Paton was also approached but he said he was ill, so Tenniel was asked again and he agreed to 'shoulder the task' as he put it. Dodgson kept in touch with him the whole time, giving him advice such as; 'Don't give Alice too much crinoline' or 'The White Knight must not have whiskers' and the Carpenter could just as easily be 'a butterfly or a baronet'. Tenniel did have some say and persuaded Dodgson to omit the 'wasp' section on the grounds that it he was unable to make a picture as; 'A wasp in a wig is beyond the appliances of art'. He later said he could no longer face doing book illustrations and did nothing in that direction subsequently. Dodgson is also recorded as writing to mothers asking if they thought the Jabberwock was too scary as a frontispiece.

The book was issued in an edition of 9,000 copies in December 1871 but no copies have 1871 on the title page, they all sate 1872. There was also an American edition in 1872 published by Lee & Sheppard, with some changes to the preliminary leaves but overall it appears to be a reissue of the original pages printed by Macmillan as it contains the same error of 'Wade' for 'Wabe' on page 21. In 1887 a cheaper, People's Edition was issued (see cover bellow). This edition was entirely revised and reset; many of the changes in punctuation were adopted in the reset standard edition of 1897.

Carroll was happy with all the reprints until the sixtieth thousand edition when Tenniel's illustrations were badly reproduced and efforts were made to suppress the issue. In December 1892 Carroll produced a leaflet asking that people who possessed copies should return them to Macmillan and they would receive replacement books in exchange. These notes were inserted into copies of Sylvie and Bruno Concluded. (see below)

In the book, Alice again enters a fantastical world, this time by climbing through a mirror into the world that she can see beyond it. There she finds that, just like a reflection, everything is reversed, including logic (for example, running helps one remain stationary, walking away from something brings one towards it, chessmen are alive, nursery rhyme characters exist, and so on).

It includes such verses as "Jabberwocky" and "The Walrus and the Carpenter". The mirror above the fireplace is probably based on that at Hetton Lawn in Charlton Kings, Gloucestershire (a house that was owned by Alice Liddell's grandparents, and was regularly visited by Alice and Lewis Carroll) and is cited as a possible inspiration for Carroll.

As a footnote we should also mention that the pamphlet The New Belfry of Christ Church Oxford was also published in 1872 (see below) The pamphlet was a humorous skit on the bald wooden cube erected to contain the bells extruded from the cathedral and placed over the staircase leading to the hall in the south-east corner of Tom Quad. The sub-title to the pamphlet is 'A thing of beauty is a joy forever' below this is an empty square with the words 'east view of the new belfry. Ch. Ch. as seen from the Meadow'.The author is sited as D. C. L. and it was published by James Parker, Oxford.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++