The Letters of Lewis Carroll

1979, two volumes, first edition. This set from Morton Cohen's own collection, with correspondence

Author

Morton N Cohen, with the assistance of Roger Lancelyn Green

Publisher

Macmillan, London, 1979

Printing Details

First edition, first printing, hardbacks in dustwrapper. Two volumes, complete. 24 × 16cm, xxxviii, 1245pp.

This set comes from Morton N Cohen's own collection. Loosely inserted into volume one is a 1974 typed letter signed to Morton Cohen from Edward I Koch, from Congress of the United States, House of Representatives, awarding Professor Cohen a grant of $25,000 for the preparation of the letters of Lewis Carroll.

This set contains almost 1400 of Lewis Carroll's letters in an immense work of scholarship by Morton Cohen. The first volumes covers from c1837 to 1885, the second from 1886 to Carroll's death in 1898. They reveal Dodgson (Lewis Carroll's real name) in a fresh, clear light. As well as his involvement in mathematics and photography, he was caught up in the theatre, the art world and had a keen interest in science, medicine, technology, theology and college affairs. In the letters he discusses religious questions, political issues, the arrangements for staging Alice's Adventures in Wonderland on stage, his stammer, the Christ Church wine cellar etc etc. But by far the largest number of letters are those intended to puzzle or delight the many young girls whose friendship he ardently cultivated, and who meant so much to him. These letters to child friends are often gems from Wonderland, containing acrostics, word-puzzles, drawings, rebuses, miniature- and mirror-writing. No less interesting are the letters to the children's parents, arranging to "borrow" the children for tete-a-tete dinner parties, for photographic sittings (sometimes nude studies), and for outings. Both volumes contain facsimiles of letters and illustrations, and photographs of friends, many taken by Dodgson himself.

Condition

Both books are in very good condition, though the dustwrapper has been cut (by the publisher) a little shy of the top of the boards. This is a heavy set weighing over 2kg.