The story of Alice’s adventures in Wonderland was first written in 1865 by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson aka Lewis Carroll, it tells a tale of a young girl growing up, facing change and difficulties, by way of sky-scraping imagination and plenty of zany representations.

Alice chases the fretful white rabbit that is clutching an oversized pocket watch and falls into a delusional realm of conceptual characters.

It provides a fun and colourful picture for children to enjoy but the more sinister meanings behind the illustrations can be entertained by adults.

 

Lewis Carroll
The young adult Charles Dodgson was about six feet tall, slender and handsome, with curling brown hair and blue or grey eyes

He suffered from a stammer, which throughout his years had an influence on his social life. It is said he caricatured himself as the Dodo in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, referring to his difficulty in pronouncing his last name but this may simply be speculation.

Dodgson was extremely gifted; he was educated at home until the age of 12 and finished his education at Oxford with a double first degree in mathematics. He could sing tolerably well and was not afraid to do so before an audience. He was adept at mimicry and storytelling, and was, reputedly, quite good at charades.

It is said he derived Alice, in Alice’s adventures in wonderland, from a family friend’s younger daughter called Alice Liddell and the book was printed in 1865 when alternative titles Alice among the Fairies and Alice's Golden Hour were rejected.

In 1868 Dodgson brought The Chestnuts, a home for his six unmarried sisters in Guildford just next to the castle ruins. He was constantly in Guildford visiting and wrote the second Alice book, Through the Looking Glass, on one of these stays in 1871.

He lived the last year of his life in Guildford and died on 14 January 1898. He is now buried in the cemetery on The Mount just inside the gates; his grave can be noted by a cross which was erected by his brothers and sisters.

Find out more about Lewis Carroll

 

Commemoration
Here in Guildford the spirit of Lewis Carroll and the memory of Alice’s adventures are kept very much alive. To experience the enchantment of this classic story check out one of the forthcoming activities on the events page or alternatively visit the Guildford Museum which contains a Lewis Carroll gallery.

 

Tourist Information Centre
14 Tunsgate
Guildford
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Tel: 01483 444333
Email: tic@guildford.gov.uk