DODGSON, Charles L.: Lewis Carroll - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. (PRESENTATION COPY - 1868)

AUTHOR: [DODGSON, Charles L.]: Lewis Carroll

TITLE: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

PUBLISHER: London: Macmillan & Co., 1868.

DESCRIPTION: PRESENTATION COPY. 1 vol., thirteenth thousand. illustrated by Tenniel, inscribed by Dodgson in black ink on the half-title "John Proctor, Esq/ from the Author/ Oct. 1868". Bound in the publisher's gilt stamped red cloth, spine relined, spine and covers a bit grubby, corners rubbed, dark green pastedowns and endpapers, all edges gilt, Burn binders ticket to rear pastedown.

CONDITION: Some minor thumbing/soiling to a few pages, not as bad as it may sound.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: In political caricature John Tenniel remained the leading artist of his day. Proctor was a political cartoonist, working profusely for "Judy" and later "Fun". A capable critic expressed his opinion that Proctor's work was superior to Tenniel's John (Puck) Proctor was mentioned as an artist approached by Dodgson to illustrate "Through the Looking-Glass" after Tenniel's initial refusal (he finally relented).
There is a letter from Proctor to Dodgson (Carroll) turning down the offer in the Dodgson Family archives.
On 8 April 1868: Carroll reported Tenniel's warning that there was "no chance of his being able to do pictures for me until the year after next, if then. I must now try Noel Paton."
On 19 May 1868: Noel Paton urged Carroll to persist with Tenniel. So did Ruskin.
On 18 June 1868: Tenniel finally made what Carroll described as a "kind of offer to do the pictures (at such spare time as he can find)".
This presentation copy of Alice we assume to be a form of consolation or thank you to Proctor.