Book Collecting

Illustrators of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Alice Wonderland - John Tenniel
Alice in Wonderland – John Tenniel

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (commonly shortened to Alice in Wonderland) is an 1865 novel by English author Lewis Carroll (the pseudonym of Charles Dodgson). It tells of a young girl named Alice, who falls through a rabbit hole into a subterranean fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures. It is considered to be one of the best examples of the literary nonsense genre. The tale plays with logic, giving the story lasting popularity with adults as well as with children.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was first published in 1865 by MacMilllan of London, but it was withdrawn as the illustrator, Tenniel, was unhappy with the quality of the printing. The text blocks were sent to America where they were bound with a new title page and sold there.

The manuscript was illustrated by Dodgson himself who added 37 illustrations—printed in a facsimile edition in 1887. John Tenniel provided 42 wood engraved illustrations for the published version of the book. The first print run of 2000 was held back/destroyed (or sold to the United States) at Carroll’s request because he was dissatisfied with the quality. The book was reprinted and published in 1866.

One of the best-known and most popular works of English-language fiction, its narrative, structure, characters and imagery have been enormously influential in popular culture and literature, especially in the fantasy genre. The work has never been out of print and has been translated into at least 97 languages. Its ongoing legacy encompasses many adaptations for stage, screen, radio, art, ballet, theme parks, board games and video games. Carroll published a sequel in 1871, titled Through the Looking-Glass, and a shortened version for young children, The Nursery “Alice”, in 1890.

The Illustrators of the Alice books, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1871), number more than 100. The focus here is on English-language editions. Many other artists have created illustrations for non-English language editions. The illustrator for the original editions was John Tenniel, whose illustrations for Alice and Looking Glass are perhaps the best known illustrations ever published. This article is an ongoing attempt to list all major illustrators of the Alice books from 1899 to the present day.

YearIllustrator(s)PublisherNotes
1865John TennielMacmillan, LondonIllustrator of the original editions of Alice (1865) & Looking Glass (1871)
1899Blanche McManusMansfield & WesselsFirst American editions of the Alice books with new illustrations
1901Peter NewellHarper & Brothers, NYAlso illustrated the Looking Glass in 1902
1902Fanny Y. CoryRand McNally, NYAnd a combined Alice and Looking Glass in 1905
1904Maria L. KirkFrederick A. Stokes, NYIn addition with John Tenniel's illustrations
1907Bessie Pease GutmannDodge, NYAlso illustrated the Looking Glass in 1909
Millicent SowerbyChatto & Windus, LondonA second set of eight, different illustrations appears in a completely separate edition published by Henry Frowde/Hodder and Stoughton (London) in 1908.
Arthur RackhamHeinemann, LondonLimited edition of 1,130 copies; also a trade edition in a smaller format
Charles RobinsonCassell, London
W. H. WalkerJohn Lane, London
1908T. H. Robinson & Charles PearsCollins, London
Harry RountreeNelson, London
John R. NeilThe Children's Red BooksThe illustrator of Frank Baum's later Oz books
1910Mabel Lucie AttwellRaphael Tuck, London
1911George SoperHeadley, London
Gordon RobinsonSamuel Gabriel and Sons
1912Frank AdamsBlackie & Sons, London
1913Alice B. WoodwardGeorge Bell & Sons, London
Millicent SowerbyHodder & Stoughton, LondonNew set of illustrations, differs from the 1907 edition
1915A. E. JacksonHumphrey Milford, London
1916Margaret W. TarrantWard & Lock, London
Milo WinterRand McNally, NY
1922Gwynedd M. HudsonHodder & Stoughton, LondonAmerican edition published simultanously by Dodd Mead & Co
1929Willy PoganyE.P. Dutton, NY
1936Honor C. AppletonHarrap, London
1946Mervyn PeakeZephyr, SwedenThen by Wingate, London in 1954
1947Eileen SoperHarrap, London
1949Leonard WeisgardHarper & Brothers, NY
1951Adrienne SégurFlamarion, ParisFrench edition.
1966Tove JanssonAlbert Bonniers, StockholmSwedish edition
1967Ralph SteadmanDennis Dobson, LondonAlso illustrated the Looking-Glass published by MacGibbon & Kee in 1972
1969Salvador DaliMaecenas Press, NY
1971Moritz KennelSilva Verlag, ZurichSwiss edition, reprinted in English published by Phaidon 1975
[1972]Nicole ClavelouxGrassetA modernized, beautiful surealism interpretation of Alice's.
1974Kuniyoshi KanekoOlivetti, MilanA special limited gift edition, not sold to the public
1982Charles BlackmanReed
Barry MoserPennyroyal PressLimited edition, also illustrated Looking-Glass same year.
1985Anthony BrowneMacRaeWinner of the Kurt Maschler Award
Michael HagueHolt, Rinehart & Winston, NY
1988George A. WalkerCheshire Cat PressFirst Canadian artist to illustrate both books 1988
1989Marketa PrachatickaWellington Publishing, Chicago
Peter WeeversPhilomel Books, NY
1999Helen OxenburyWalker Books, LondonIn a signed limited edition in 1999 & Looking-Glass in 2005. Oxenbury won the Kate Greenaway Medal and the Kurt Maschler Award for Alice
Lisbeth ZwergerNorth-South Books
2000Iassen GhiuselevAufbau-Verlag, BerlinAbridged German edition. English edition by Simply Read Books, Vancouver in 2003
2003Robert SabudaSimon & Schuster, NYA Pop-up book
2004Greg HildebrandtCourage Books
Michael ForemanSterling
2005Anne BachelierJerry N. UelsmannSeveral different editions, both commercial (published by CFM Gallery/Neil P. Zukerman) and limited.
2006Pat AndreaDiane de Selliers, ParisBilingual French and English edition of both Alice and Looking-Glass
2008Rodney MatthewsTemplar
2009John Vernon LordArtist's ChoiceAlso illustrated Looking-Glass in 2011
Robert IngpenWalker Books, LondonAlso illustrated Looking-Glas, published by Templar 2015
2012Yayoi KusamaPenguin Press
2016Charles van SandwykFolio Society, LondonLimited edition of 1000 copies

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