Alice in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass, Signed by the Original Alice

Book Details:  Known as the “Centennial Editions”, these are the only “Alice” books signed by the “Original Alice”, Alice Liddell Hargreaves, for whom Lewis Carroll wrote his most famous work, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. According to The Dictionary of National Biography, Alice was the daughter of Henry Liddell, dean of Christ Church, Oxford, where Charles Dodgson was a lecturer in mathematics. Dodgson, whose hobby was photography, frequently photographed Alice and her sisters and became a close family friend, playing games with, and making up stories for, the children. It was on a picnic on 4 July 1862 that he invented the story of Alice in Wonderland. The real Alice was then aged ten and pleaded with him to write Alice's adventures down for her, which he carefully did, supplying his own illustrations, in a green notebook that has become one of the most cherished literary manuscripts in the British Library.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was published in 1932 with a limitation of 1500 copies with this being number 191. Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found there was published in 1935 with a limitation of 1500 with this being number 1179. Alice Liddell Hargreaves did not sign all of the copies of these two books. Subscribers to the Limited Edition Club were asked to pay a surcharge to get an autographed copy. Estimates are that she signed about 1,200 copies of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and about 500 of "Through the Looking Glass". The books themselves are beautifully produced and feature the 94 original illustrations by John Tenniel (43 illustrations for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and 51 illustrations for Through the Looking Glass).

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is signed by Alice Hargreaves on a blank sheet bound into the book and by the typographer and binding designer Frederic Warde on the colophon. Through the Looking Glass is signed by Alice Hargreaves on the colophon.

Binding Details:  The books are bound in the publisher's original red and blue full levant morocco leather with elaborately gilted spines with the compartments containing gilt decorations based on Tenniel's illustrations. The front and rear boards are elaborately gilt stamped with all edges gold gilted. The books are housed in the original publisher's cloth slipcases with the spines stamped to match the spine decoration of each of the books. The bindings were designed by Frederick Warde.

Condition Report:  The bindings are in FINE condition with no flaws. The slipcases are in Near FINE condition with some  minor wear. Internally, the books are very clean with no signs of previous ownership.

Photographs of the bindings, title pages, slipcases, Alice Hargraves signatures for Alice in Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass, and some stock illustrations from the books appear in the photo section of the listing.