Lewis Carroll. ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND.Macmillan, London 1865 & 1866
Current Selling Prices
£4000 - £12000 / $7500 - $22000
CLASSIC FICTION / CHILDREN"S LITERATURE
The most wanted book of all. The true first (suppressed) is now very rare although a few got out and it can potentially show up. (In your dreams.) Carroll disliked the edition published in 1865 so much that he had almost all of them recalled and sent to the United States where the title pages were removed and new American ones inserted. His annoyance was with the typography and general appearance of the book.[Want Level, Highest 200+]
VALUE? In 1980 an inscribed one turned up at a provincial auction in France where it made 220.000 francs about $50,000 at the time, which seems like a bit of a steal and probably couldn't happen anymore with the ubiquity of the net. A copy was on sale in NY around 2001 at a cool million dollars. Nice copies of the 1866 can get as much as $10000 to $20000. A lot less for unhandsome copies. As a much loved book early editions often show up in execrable condition
and it is not unknown for several poorish copies to be cobbled together to make one acceptable copy. The defective ones are known as 'hospital copies.' Caveat emptor etc., The 1865 edition that sold for $1.5 million in 1998 was larded with drawings by Tenniel and annotated by Carroll - it was the most expensive children's book ever sold. Many people who want the book are looking for 19th century editions, special illustrated editions (Peake, Dali, Steadman) the LEC edition signed by the original Alice in old age, parodies etc., Shabby reprints (early editions) from the 1880s and 1870s show up on ebay and sometimes make , to my mind, silly money...but it is one of those books that defy reason.
Parodies, sequels, prequels, tributes and curious books on the Alice theme aboud. Here are some titles:
Alice in Bibleland
Alice in Blunderland
Alice in Brown Sugarland
Alice in England
Alice in Genderland
Alice in Holidayland
Alice in Jungleland
Alice in Justiceland
Alice in La-La Land
Alice in Madland
Alice in Motorland
Alice in Municipaland
Alice in Northumberland
Alice in Ochestralia
Alice in Puzzleland
Alice in Radioland
Alice in Rankbustland
Alice in Virusland
Alice in Westerland
Alice in Womanland
15 comments:
I believe I own an copy of the original 1865 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
..........By Lewis Carroll
Author of
"Through the Looking- Glass and What Alice Found There"
With forty-two illustrations by John Tenniel.
Published by A.L. Burt Company,'
Anyone interested?
Burt is a reprint house--sorry book is of very modest value.
Hello there,
Wonder if you might point me in the right direction? I, too, have a copy of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and would like to find out how to pinpoint the edition as I cannot find a date, although I am fairly certain it is an early edition. It has the illustrations by Tenniel and was published by R. Clay, Son, and Taylor in London. No gilt edges, I'm afraid. Any thoughts would certainly be appreciated.
-Scott B.
I also have what I believe to b an early copy. The book has a red cover with a gold silhouette of Alice embossed on the front. Any idea of its age and value????
I have an old copy of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland....Clay Son and Taylor Printers, London
No copyright Date
C.L. Dodgson signature stamped or printed? on first page
Light blue papers in front and back
Red cover with gold embossed circular picture....though no gilding on pages
Just curious if this is a valuable copy..
I HAVE AN ALICE IN WONDERLAND BOOK, ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND BY LEWIS CARROLL WITH 42 ILLUSTRATIONS BY SIR JOHN TENNEIL, THE COVER OF THE BOOK IS RED (HARDCOVER) AND ON THE COVER IT SAYS " ARLINGTON EDITION ". THE BOOK HAS NO COPYRIGHT DATE. I'M NOT SURE IF IT IS THE FIRST EDITION. IS THERE ANYONE WHO KNOWS ABOUT THIS BOOK AND WHAT IT WOULD BE WORTH........????? -CHERYL
I too have a red hardcover Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll with 42 illus by tenniel; the inverted "S" in the last line of the Contents page; blue endpapers; no date of course; R. Clay, etc. on the back page and need help in finding the value. Alice is on the front & nothing on the back. Looks to me as if the top edges of the book pages are gilt or else very discolored. - valerie
More Alice parodies, sequels and curiosities here: http://aliceintheinternet.wordpress.com/
I have a copy of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland no year that i can find. The cover is white with red flowers on it, inside is in great condition, outside is in great condition has a bit of ink stain on binding. I am looking for a buyer, as well as getting it appraised prior to sale.
my email is weapingwillow13@hotmail.com
if anyone is interested or can help me I would be grateful. Thank you!!
Stacey
Hello !
I am super interested in an " Alice's Adventures in Wonderland " book illus by tenniel. If anybody of you still wants to sell his hardcover version please leave me a comment. thank you very much
I have a copy of Alice in wonderland, fifth edition, colour plates by Margaret W.Tennant published by ward, lock & co. I believe 1920's. Would it be of any value?
I have a book of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll with forty- two illustrations by John Tenniel. (The Right of Translation and Reproduction is Reserved)
There is no year of publication and on last page at bottom it says R. Clay, Son, and Taylor, Printers, Bread Street Hill.
It has a red hard cover with gold gilt and is in excellent condition. The title page is stamped with signature of C. L. Dodgson.
What can you tell me about this edition and the value?
Barb Cassidy
Hi, I have what looks to be a very old edition of Alice in Wonderland. It has a red cloth binding, gold-embossed encircled picture of Alice on the cover, light blue papers in front and back, the 42 illustrations by John Tenniel, the stamp or printing of C.L. Dodgson's signature, and the Robert Clayson attribution at the beginning and at the end. There is no date. Can anyone tell me or guess which printing/edition I have? Thanks.
I think I have found a copy among some old books It matches your description completely. Does your copy have an inverted s at the bottom of the table of contents ?
It should say 1865 (or more likely 1866) on title page and be published by Murray
charingx@anyamountofbooks.com
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