The Origins of Alice

Since this blog is partially inspired by the curious, inquisitive nature of Alice, I felt that it was appropriate to devote a post to the area where the Alice in Wonderland Stories were conceived. 

While teaching at Oxford University, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson- commonly known as Lewis Carroll, made the acquaintance of a young girl named Alice- and the rest is history.

The distinguished Dodgson

Alice and her two sisters were the daughters of Henry Liddell who was Dean of Christ Church, Oxford from 1855-1891. Carroll much enjoyed the company of the three girls, and would spend long afternoons with them while wandering the grounds and surroundings of Oxford. During these outings, Carroll would often tell fanciful stories to the girls that were inspired by people they met and places they went. Carroll decided to compile all of the stories into a book, and presented the handwritten manuscript called Alice’s Adventures Underground to Alice as a Christmas gift in 1864.

As I mentioned in a previous post (see here if you missed it), I was very disappointed that I was not able to view that original manuscript at the British Library (sigh…).

The first published edition of the book was released in 1865. This version was titled Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and was famously illustrated by John Tenniel. View it here!

I imagined myself as Alice, gazing up at the grand walls of Oxford University in the year 1862. Our photography focus for the day was to use a unique feature of our camera. I took this photo in sepia tone for that 1860’s vibe.

Later, while sitting in the stunning Oxford Botanical Gardens, I did my best impression of Alice daydreaming. I could practically see the Caterpillar sitting on his toadstool, smoking hookah amidst the wildflowers.

We saw plenty of other amazing sites while in Oxford today. Here are the highlights:

 The Eagle and Child Pub was the rendezvous point for a group of authors called The Inklings, which famously included C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. The pub looked very old fashioned, but unfortunately it was crawling with other tourists, which made my experience slightly less authentic. Even so, I imagined eavesdropping on a friendly debate between Lewis and Tolkien while eating fish n’ chips and sipping down a Pimm’s Cup (I did the latter two things in real life, not just in my imagination. It was delicious and decidedly British).

The Eagle and Child Pub 

 The Bodleian Library was phenomenal. I wish I could come up with words to describe it right now but none will do it justice.  

The Divinity School at Bodleian Library- also the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts

The Dining Hall at Christ Church, Oxford was the inspiration for the great hall at Hogwarts. The scenes were not actually filmed at this dining hall, but it was still quite a sight to behold. I managed to sit at one of the long tables even though we were not allowed. I know, I’m I rebel.

This face represents a mix of glee and the feeling of "I shouldn't be doing this right now".