A Dodgson Pamphlet on Voting

Lewis Carroll wrote many works under his real name and this is one of his pamphlets on voting. He applied his mathematical expertise to several other subjects, tennis and politics to name but two. This pamphlet is in very nice condition, with a deletion in Dodgson’s hand of a word in the last line of pg 5. The pamphlet is a first ( and only) edition printed in Oxford in 1874 by the University printers. It came in a group of Carroll pamphlets from the same source as the Objections/Quadrangle pamphlet shown earlier here. A thing a collector might see or be offered once in a lifetime.

Bedtime Reading for Queen Victoria

After Alice was published in 1865 Dodgson’s next work was a mathematical piece called “Condensation of Determinants” , a work important enough in scientific circles to be published in the Proceedings of The Royal Society in 1866. The piece shown here is an offprint from this journal in rare plain paper covers. The well known story that Queen Victoria, being impressed by Alice, requested that Dodgson sent her a copy of his next work, referred to the Determinants of 1867 but in fact this piece came out first. Imagine how thrilled she would have been with either!

Wonderland and Looking Glass Quadrilles 1872

These two rather beautiful items are, once again, very hard to find although, being essentially sheet music, one might think they would be found in the piles of music in secondhand shops. The Wonderland Quadrilles, published by Robert Cocks and Co in 1872, have five magnificent lithographs by Alfred Concanen ( after John Tenniel) on the front cover and I complete . The Looking Glass Quadrilles have nine; the cover only present. They came to me when I made a post-auction enquiry. I certainly didn’t want a collection of 400 plus sheet musical items but I knew that these two items were in the single lot. I made an offer for the two items to the successful bidder of the lot ( in Phillip’s of Oxford) which was from the library of Eric Quayle, who wasn’t, thankfully, an Alice collector. The colours of the artwork are exquisite, as if printed yesterday.

Dodgson’s Objections against proposed alterations in the Great Quadrangle of Christ Church, Oxford 1873

Dated 16 May 1873, Dodgson had copies of this pamphlet privately printed, his protest at the changes proposed to the narrowing and lowering of the terrace and the substitution of a grass slope for the existing stone wall. He had also objected to the new double entrance to the cathedral and to the new belfry in other now famous pamphlets. His protest against a grass slope may have helped as the low wall in the quadrangle is still there today.

The piece is large, printed over 4 pages, pgs 2-3 numbered, and described in WMGC 95. It came to me via a bookseller in Berkeley, California who had a number of rare Dodgson pamphlets for sale and he in turn had bought them from a New York collector of all sorts of books.

This pamphlet is ultra-rare because of the low original print number and the ephemeral nature .A few private collectors have a copy, as do some public collections. 

Bumblebee Bogo’s Budget Presentation Copy from Lewis Carroll

In 1886 Dodgson helped a friend, William Webb Follett Synge in publishing a volume of children’s verse illustrated by another recent acquaintance, the artists Alice Havers. 500 copies of the first edition, in red cloth with a bees and bramble decorative gilt cover design, were published in 1887. Follett Synge ordered 25 to be gilt edged, 20 for his use and 5 for Dodgson’s use for presentation.

In November 2006 I was informed by Ebay that a book entitled “ Bumblebee Bogo’s Budget” was newly listed in an auction. I had several titles on my wants list for notification in this way. The listing described an attractive illustrated book of verse obviously written for children, with gilt edges and a very neat presentation inscription on the half title. No further details of this inscription were given or illustrated. I added it to my watch list and refreshed my knowledge of the book. The red cloth with gilt edges and presentation inscription meant the book was either presented by Follett Synge, or ( I could barely contain myself)  Dodgson. Five days  later I was  ready to put in my last minute bid and was successful – at a hammer price of £4.99. The book duly came on a Saturday morning and I gave it to my son and said, “Open this, it may be signed by Lewis Carroll!” I had a 1 in 5 chance. He opened it and started to say the words “Dorothy Furnifs…” and I jabbered “What colour is the ink? “ and he said “ Purple”. And it was – a wonderful white stone moment for a Lewis Carroll collector.

Presentation Copy of Doublets

Lewis Carroll presented a copy of Doublets inscribed to his child-friend Edith Miller. This book, a third edition, I bought at the Nicholas Falletta Sale at Christie’s in 2005 ( lot 78). I don’t have many inscribed presentation copies in the collection although many appear for sale ; again I suppose this is my predilection for the rare and unusual over the abundant. In terms of Dodgson’s handwriting I have preferred to have a few autograph letters and books from his library. This example of a presentation copy I chose for the lovely flowing inscription and flourish in purple ink. There is an ink stain on the front cover -  it was obviously used as a book of puzzles would be.

Presented by the Author for the Use of Sick Children

Lewis Carroll was a generous man and from time to time prepared copies of his books to be given away to hospitals for the use of sick children.

This book, in poor condition, was rescued from an auction and tells a story all of its’ own.

In July 1890 Lewis Carroll presented copies of his “Nursery Alice” printed in 1889 to hospitals. These are identified by a rectangular ink stamp at the top of the half title page saying “Presented by the Author for the Use of Sick Children July 1890”. The binding was a brown linen cloth and here a loop of string is perhaps a vestige of a tie on the ward. This 1889 printing was designed for an American first edition but the hospital copies, unlike the copies that went to America, did not have the 1889 title page replaced with an 1890 title page mounted on a stub (see Goodacre, Jabberwocky Summer 1994 pg.34).

This copy is brought alive by the graffiti and drawings of one Maud Amelia Spence aged 10, who was a patient in Cot No 16 on Louise Ward, Great Ormond Street in 1890. She seems to have taken ownership of the book and done everything except tear it to shreds – just as Dodgson himself said he intended for child readers of the Nursery Alice.

The book was acquired in July 2005 at Cheffins of Cambridge for £82. I thought it was rather special and touching.