The Letters of Lewis Carroll

1979, 2 volumes, Morton Cohen's own reference copies

Author

Publisher

Printing Details

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

Not signed as such but this was one of Morton Cohen's own sets, and used by him for reference. He has used a letter and postcard signed to him a bookmarks (one from fellow author Raleigh Trevelyan), and also slips of paper where he wanted pages copied.

This set contains almost 1400 of Lewis Carroll's letters in an immense work of scholarshp by Morton Cohen. The first volumes covers from c1837 to 1885, the second fro 1886 to Carroll's death in 1898. They reveal Dodgson (Lewis Carroll's real name) in a fresh, clear light. As well as his involvment in mathematics and photography, he was caught up in the theatre, the art world and had a keen interest in science, medicine, technology, theolgy 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

Good reading copies. The blue cloth is rubbed and bumped, and there is some tanning to the pages. Otherwise the books remain in good readable condition, and with the added bonus of them being Morton Cohen's copies.