Photograph of Charles Dodgson. Beyond the Looking Glass. Colin Gordon. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1982.

Lewis Carroll was the well-known pen name of the Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson.

Born in Daresbury, a small village located south west of Warrington in northern Cheshire, Dodgson was the third child and eldest son in a family of eleven. Like his father, Dodgson joined the clergy. He served as both a preacher and a mathematics professor at the Oxford College of Christ Church.

At a young age, Dodgson entertained his brothers and sisters with a variety of games, plays, magic and puppet performances, as well as creating family magazines. As an adult, Dodgson's love of the theatre, magic shows, and other exhibitions persisted. Dodgson was also known as an avid photographer, a thorough record keeper, diarist, and letter writer.

Praised by family and friends for his great kindness and gentleness, Dodgson was known to be both fastidious and shy. Nonetheless, it was his delight to entertain his young friends with amusing stories, puzzles and games. As a result, the Alice series and a great many other children's works were produced. As the word and logic puzzles included in the books attest, the mathematician could never be wholly separated from the author. In fact, Dodgson also published works of political satire, mathematics, and logic.

Tinted photograph of Alice by Charles Dodgson. Beyond the Looking Glass. Colin Gordon. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1982.

Alice Liddell is best known as the little girl who inspired the Alice stories.

Shortly after Henry Liddell, Dean of Christ Church, and his family arrived at Oxford, Dodgson made their acquaintance. Dodgson was immediately charmed with the little girl and sketched her within a couple days of their meeting.

In the summer of 1862, a boating expedition consisting of the Liddell children, Charles Dodgson, and Robinson Duckworth marked the day when the tale of a little girl exploring a rabbit warren was born. Dodgson later wrote of that fateful day:

Full many a year has slipped away, since that "golden afternoon" that gave thee birth, but I can call it up almost as clearly as if it were yesterday - the cloudless blue above, the watery mirror below, the boat drifting idly on its way, the tinkle of the drops that fell from the oars, as they waved sleepily to and fro, and (the one bright gleam of life in all the slumberous scene) the three eager faces, hungry for news of fairy-land…

The red arrow indicates Christ Church where Alice and Charles Dodgson met. Town and City Maps of the British Isles 1800-1855. Ashley Baynton-Williams. London: Studio Editions, 1992.

Located 54 miles from London, Oxford is situated on a gentle knoll at the meeting of the rivers Cherwell and Thames. Famous for its university, the city was fondly called the "City of Cathedrals."

It was here at Oxford's Christ Church that Charles Dodgson met little Alice.

Alice's Adventures Underground. Lewis Carroll. London: MacMillan, 1886.

Illustrated by Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures Underground begins the adventure of little Alice. The title was later changed to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Photograph of John Tenniel. The Tenniel Illustrations to the "Alice" Books. Michael Hancher. Ohio State University, 1985.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Alice's Adventures Through the Looking Glass and What She Found There contain the well-known illustrations of Sir John Tenniel.

While most of Tenniel's illustrations were based on Carroll's drawings in Alice's Adventures Underground and Carroll's specifications, Tenniel's illustrations are among the finest ever produced. Each illustration was drawn on boxwood; the illustration was then sent to the engravers who engraved the block for printing. The remarkable detail and obvious care of Tenniel's illustrations despite this rather clumsy technique attest to the skill of both Tenniel and the engravers.

While most contemporary readers of Alice see little more than a childrens story, Victorian adults may have had a much different experience. Well known for his caricatures in Punch, a popular political magazine, Tenniel satirised political leaders and events. In fact, many scholars claim Alice characters are reminiscent of Tenniel's Punch drawings.

Alice in Wonderland. Lewis Carroll. Illustrated by Mabel Lucie Attwell. London: Raphael Tuck & Sons, [1910].

While Sir John Tenniel is well known as the original Alice illustrator, many other accomplished artists have depicted the adventures of this beloved little girl.

Among these other illustrators are Mabel Lucie Attwell, C.A. Federer, Bessie Pease Gutmann, Gwynedd M. Hudson, A.E. Jackson, Maria L. Kirk, Arthur Rackham, and Harry Riley. One of the most famous artists to illustrate the story is Salvador Dali. Published in 1969, the Dali Alice contains original woodcut remarques in a linen and leather case.

Alice in Wonderland. Lewis Carroll. Illustrated by A.E. Jackson and C.A. Federer. New York: Garden City, [1930].

Alice's Adventures in the New Wonderland. Northern Pacific Railroad. The Yellowstone National Park. Chicago: [1884].

The Alice stories have served as inspiration for many authors. An assortment of parodies and imitations can be found in the collection. Some examples shown here include political parodies, advertisements, and works of fiction.

Adolf in Blunderland. James Dyrenforth and Max Kester. Illustrated by Norman Mansbridge. London: Frederick Muller, 1939.

Malice in Wonderland. Rufus King. New York: Garden City, 1958.

Pinocchio's Adventures in Wonderland. Translated from Italian by Hezekiah Butterworth. Illustrated by Rene Quentin. New York: H. M. Caldwell, 1898.

The Westminster Alice. Hector H. Munro. Illustrated by F. Carruthers Gould. Reprinted from the Westminster Gazette, [1902].

Alicia in Terra Mirabili. Ludovici Carroll. Translated by Clive Harcourt Carruthers. London: MacMillan, 1964.

The Alice stories are a favourite of children around the world. The Carroll classics have been translated into more than 60 languages. Shown here are versions in Latin and Spanish.

Alicia en el Pais de las Maravillas. Lewis Carroll. Madrid: Editorial Rivadeneyra, [1922].

The Hunting of the Snark. Lewis Carroll. Illustrated by Aldren Watson. New York: Peter Pauper Press.

Other works include the Sylvie and Bruno stories, Eight or Nine Wise Words About Letter-Writing, The Nursery Alice, Curiosa Mathematica, Symbolic Logic, The Game of Logic, Rhyme? And Reason?, Three Sunsets and Other Poems, Phantasmagoria and Other Poems, and A Tangled Tale.

Useful and Instructive Poetry. Lewis Carroll. New York: MacMillan, 1954.

Eight or Nine Wise Words About Letter-Writing. Lewis Carroll. 6th ed. Oxford: 1890. With the Postage-Stamp Case.

Rhymes From Wonderland. Lewis Carroll. Music by William Boyd. London: Weekes, [1913].

The warm reception of the Alice stories encouraged the adaptation of the story into songs, rhymes, plays and ballets.

The Songs From Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Lewis Carroll. Composed by William Boyd. London: 1870.