Lewis Carroll's personal copy of 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' from the original 1865 run has been acquired by Oxford's Christ Church college and the Bodleian Libraries. The rare volume, donated by American philanthropist and bibliophile Ellen Michelson, contains the author's handwritten notes, sketched plans for a future nursery edition, and 10 original pencil sketches by John Tenniel used for the wood engravings. The book had never before been exhibited in the United Kingdom.
This acquisition matters because it reunites a uniquely personal artifact of one of literature's most beloved works with the institution where Carroll studied and worked as a mathematics lecturer and sub-librarian. The volume's provenance—coming from Carroll's own allotment of the canceled first printing—and its inclusion of rare Tenniel sketches make it an invaluable scholarly resource. The gift follows a competitive process among institutions and will be displayed at the Bodleian, inspiring future generations of scholars and writers.