1890 The Nursery "Alice"

Description

Author's Presentation Copy, Colour Plates, Fine Binding, Illustrated, Publishers' Original Binding, Signed

One of 100 copies Carroll reserved to present to personal friends. Inscribed by Carroll himself to the half title, in his customary purple ink. Carroll's inscription, 'Florence Jebb, from the Author. Mar. 25. 1890.'. 

Florence Jebb made friends with Caroll when still a child. He photographed Florence and her sister Edith in Whitby on the 25th September 1866, and in the afternoon of the same day 'went up to Ruswarp in a little boat with Mr. Jebb, Florence and Edith, and had a very enjoyable day. Mr. Jebb and I rowed most of the way, but Florence also took a part' (The Diaries of Lewis Carroll, edited by Roger Lancelyn Green, Cassell, 1953, page 247).

He presented a number of signed works to members of the Jebb family.

The first edition, second issue. Williams, Madan, Geen, 216 [186]. With no 'People's Edition' to title page head, and 'Price Four Shillings' to title page tail.

The first, unpublished edition of 1889 had 10,000 sets of sheets printed, before Carroll rejected them for being too "bright and gaudy", with this second issue being the first to be widely circulated.

Illustrated with a chromolithographic frontispiece, and chromolithographic illustrations throughout.

Boards illustrated by Emily Gertrude Thomson. Thomson was approached by Carroll to illustrate this 'Nursery Alice' after he saw her illustrations for 'The Fairies' by William Allingham. However, Thomson took so long illustrating the cover that the work went to press, and she was unable to illustrate the rest of the work. Instead Tenniel's original illustrated were printed in this edition, coloured by Thomson. After this Carroll and Thomson became close friends until his death, after which she wrote a short biographical memoir on him.

Three pages of adverts to the rear, along with the tipped in addendum, as called for.

This charming edition is written as though the story is being read allowed to children, with places in the narrative that ask children questions, and point out details in the illustrations.