Thursday, July 9, 2015

H is for Hole




Original Art by Marc Burckhardt, Gallery Shoal Creek, Austin, TX


H is for Hole

As in, 

Down the rabbit hole!




Exhibit Organized by Danielle Brune Sigler, Harry Ransom Center 
Associate Director for Research and Programs, with assistance from Alexandra Bass.


The Harry Ransom Center ~ The University of Texas

recently hosted a very special exhibit

in recognition of the 150th anniversary of 

Lewis Carroll's, 

ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND.







Come along with me down the rabbit hole

for a glimpse of this fascinating exhibit 

that celebrates one of the most popular 

children's books of all times

and the magical imagination of Lewis Carroll.




Photo of Alice Liddell

It all began on July 4, 1862, when Charles Dodgson

conjured up a fanciful tale of a bored little girl

who fell down a rabbit hole.  

His intent was to entertain the three young Liddell sisters

on an afternoon outing, now known as "the Golden Afternoon."




Little Alice Liddell was so taken by the story,

that she asked Mr. Dodgson to write it down for her,

which he did some two years later.

As they say, "The rest is history!"




Writing under the pseudonym of Lewis Carroll, Dodgson's,

ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND

was first published in 1872 with illustrations by John Tenniel.




Harry Rountree, Illustrator, London 1908


By 1907, the British copyright had expired and countless new

 editions have been published through the years

with new artwork by artists and illustrators who have 

provided their own artistic interpretations.



Milo Winter, American Illustrator, 1916




Alice Around the World Display


The year after the first publication, Lewis Carroll 

worked with his publisher to pursue translations 

of his book in both French and German.

ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND

has since been translated into many languages.






Early on, Lewis Carroll encouraged 

the commercialization of 

ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND.

The postage stamp case, top right, was produced in 1890.

The Eberhard Faber colored pencils are from the late 1920s.

The board game, "Alice's Race in Wonderland" is English, undated.






One of my favorite contemporary interpretations 

currently available on the market is Robert Sabuda's dazzling

pop-up version that includes seven full page pop-ups plus more

pop-ups within mini-books included on the pages.

Available here on Amazon.





I felt especially fortunate that this

incredible exhibit was right here in my home town.

I wish all of you Alice fans could have seen the exhibit

as I've only presented a mere sampling of the 

amazing collection the Harry Ransom Center 

spotlighted within this exhibit.





It goes without saying that this Alice fan

has collected things herself through the years. 

Passionate about children's literature since childhood and

an avid fan of Lewis Carroll's Alice, 

certainly you are not surprised that I  have a few copies of

ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND 

in my own library.





It's nearing time for the annual

Mad Tea Party @ A Fanciful Twist.

Hope to see you there on Saturday!


Joining