And what is the use of a book, without pictures, or conversation? Before slipping down the rabbit hole and into a world of fantastical transformations, so the most famous reader of all time posed one of the greatest questions of all time. 

In the 150^th anniversary year of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, exhibitions here and abroad, from Kansas to Kobe, Japan, are bringing the magic of Alice in Wonderland to book lovers everywhere. New York’s Morgan Library & Museum takes visitors on an unforgettable journey, exploring the fascinating and often surprising story behind this classic.

The story of its author, a finicky Oxford don who made up the tale to entertain a ten-year-old girl named Alice Liddell, and her two sisters, on an afternoon boat ride, and his subsequent labors to transform the tale into the literary classic it has since become, is presented in enchanting detail.

Among the treasures on view is Carroll’s original manuscript, bound into a slender volume along with his original drawings, lent by the British Library (below, left); a copy of the first edition, which was recalled when John Tenniel, the artist, was displeased with the print quality; letters from the author to his publisher and to admirers; Tenniel’s original drawings; printing plates of the illustrations, and vintage photographs of the author and his muse. Above: John Tenniel (1820–1914), Why is a raven like a writing-desk? (The Mad Tea Party), 1885. Hand-colored proof.

While children today easily relate to the difficulty Alice had in communicating with adults, the ways in which children of the Victorian age entertained themselves could hardly be more different. The exhibition fleshes out a child’s world of the time with games and puzzles that were popular, including an acrostic and a book of rules for croquet. Objects owned by Carroll and his subject, such as his microscope, and Alice’s purse and ruby ring, breathe life into these figures from the past. 

When it became evident that Carroll had a hit on his hands, he began the task of creating a sequel. Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There, again with drawings by Tenniel, was published in 1871. Together, the books created an industry for Carroll, who developed an Alice market by issuing tie-ins, licensing the characters for specific products, collaborating on the first stage adaptation, and publishing a facsimile of the manuscript. 

What began as a simple tale to delight three children one summer afternoon has grown beyond the bounds of its original format and narrative. Parodied and adapted in countless ways, the characters and themes of the story continue to live independently as cultural reference points. Next to A Pilgrim’s Progress, Alice has become the world’s most translated novel in the English language, including a Braille edition, released in 1923. Left: Lewis Carroll (1832–1898), Alice’s Adventures Under Ground, completed 13 September 1864, Illustrated manuscript. © The British Library Board. Images courtesy The Morgan Library & Museum.

Alice: 150 Years of Wonderland, will end its run on at The Morgan Library & Museum on October 12, with extended hours for the last weekend. 225 Madison Avenue, at 36^th Street, New York, NY. Information.

Recently opened at the Grolier Club is Alice in a World of Wonderlands: The Translations of Lewis Carroll’s Masterpiece, which continues through November 21^st. 47 East 60^th Street, NY, NY. Information.

British Library marketing department subsequently sent this link so that readers may see Carroll's original manuscript in its entirety, here.