Edition: 1st UK Edition
Illustrated By: John Tenniel Edmund Evans
Published By: Macmillan And Co
Publication Date: 1890
St Mary's Books is incredibly proud to present this first UK edition of "The Nursery Alice" signed by the author, Lewis Carroll. This copy, which is in remarkably fresh condition, was one of 100 copies Carroll personally presented to his friends and recorded in his notebook. This second overall edition, first UK edition copy has never, until now, been on the market. It has been well-preserved and privately owned by the relatives of Mabel Amy Burton, to whom the book was originally gifted and whose picture is here attached. This book comes alongside a fascinating collection of four letters written by C.L. Dodgson, a.k.a. Lewis Carroll, and addressed to Mabel. Lewis Carroll first met Mabel Amy Burton on 16 August 1877, noting on the diary, "Went on the pier in the evening and made another fortunate acquaintance... my new friend is Mabel Amy Burton, of 53 Pentonville Road, Islington. She seems to be about 8... Mabel herself is entirely charming, and without an atom of shyness: I never became friends with a child so easily or so quickly". Though their friendship ended as Mabel grew, these examples of correspondence provide precious insight into both Carroll's relationships and, in the case of letter no. 4, of how his taste for nonsense and the absurd permeated his real life as well as his work. Revisiting letter no. 4, we're gifted a particularly valuable passage: "What is your idea of smallness, I wonder? And how do you distinguish it from largeness? Do you call an elephant "smallâ€, for instance? And do you call this a long letter?". Of course, we are reminded of Alice's adventures and her bizarre physical changes. This fine example of Lewis Carroll's work, grounded in the context of his personal relationships and worldview, is looking for a new home where it will be similarly enjoyed, appreciated, and preserved.
Book Condition: Fine
Author: Lewis Carroll
Binding: Hardback
Ref: 113342
Price £28000.00
