Description:

Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) Charles 1832 - 1898 Charles Dodgson / Lewis Carroll ALS about Alice In Wonderland's White Queen and Jack of Hearts

Two page bi-fold ALS on light card stock, 3.5" x 5.5". Penned entirely in the hand of Dodgson. Dated "Aug 21 '91", and signed by him as "C.L. Dodgson" Expected folds with one small tape ghost, else near fine. Accompanied by a bibliographical note about actress Irene Vanbrugh, who played a part in Dodgson's theatrical debut of Alice In Wonderland.


A letter with more puns is hardly imaginable! This delightful letter penned by Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) was discussing Irene Vanbrugh who was performing in Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland,andwho at the age of 16, performed in the roles of The White Queen, andJack of Hearts. Dodgson's letter noted that she'll "have to hurry back" (hopefully we ponder, she is not "late late late"), and "this will enable you, if you like to ask her, to have tea on Sunday" (we also presume without the Mad Hatter and the March Hare?), and "I found she would like to come & that 4 1/2 would be a convenient time" (we only hope she is not wearing the White Rabbit's watch which was always a mess!)

One of the most wonderful scenes from Alice In Wonderland revolves aroundthe "Mad Tea Party", where the Mad Hatter and the March Hare try to "fix" the Hatters watch, proclaiming it "exactly two days slow". Through various food they put in the watch (butter, tea, jam, and lemon), the two cause it to go mad, and the Hare smashes it with his mallet. Like the character's friend, the Hatter, the March Hare feels compelled to always behave as though it is tea time because the Hatter supposedly "murdered the time"! The Hatter (ostensibly not mad yet) is sentenced to death by the Queen of Hearts for "murdering the time" with the song he attempts to sing at her celebration. He escapes death, as many of the characters in the tale do, but not the attention of Time. Time is so angry with the Hatter for "killing" him that Time halts time itself, imprisoning the Hatter in time, at six p.m., the time for tea.

Meanwhile with equal nonsensical nonsense, The White Rabbit is running about with his watch saying, "I'm late! I'm late! For a very important date! No time to say hello, goodbye! I'm late! I'm late! I'm late!" There is no writer who was able to compose an entire book of nonsense that still somehow holds together in a cohesive magical story, one so elaborately well done that to this day is a benchmark novel enjoyed by both young and old alike. A copy of an except of the insanity from Chapter Seven (The Tea Party), is shown at the end of this description to bring the reader back to an example of what made this book so famous.

The letter in full is shown below:

"Dear Mr. Patmore,

It was most kind of you to ask Miss Irene 'Vanbrugh' to your house - and I am sorry she was unable to come to you. She is now here, as my guest, to play at the theatre tonight and tomorrow afternoon - I had hoped to have her with me all Sunday - but the plans have been altered, & they actually have to hurry back to St. Leonard's after playing here in the afternoon, to play there in the evening! It is a disappointment to me - however it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good - & this will enable you, if you like to ask her, to have tea on Sunday. I find she would like to come & that 4 1/2 would be a convenient time. So I leave the matter in your hands - I have just escorted her to the stage door, & shall very soon have to set off again, to see her play in "Paul Pry". Her address at St. Leonard's is "12, Silchester Street"

Very Truly Yours,

C.L. Dodgson"

A classic example of an excerpt of Carroll's typical, disorientating insanity found in "Alice" is shown below from Chapter Seven (The Tea Party):

CHAPTER SEVEN

There was a table set out under a tree in front of the house, and the March Hare and the Hatter were having tea at it: a Dormouse was sitting between them, fast asleep, and the other two were using it as a cushion, resting their elbows on it, and the talking over its head. `Very uncomfortable for the Dormouse,' thought Alice; `only, as it's asleep, I suppose it doesn't mind.'

The table was a large one, but the three were all crowded together at one corner of it: `No room! No room!' they cried out when they saw Alice coming. `There's PLENTY of room!' said Alice indignantly, and she sat down in a large arm-chair at one end of the table.

`Have some wine,' the March Hare said in an encouraging tone.

Alice looked all round the table, but there was nothing on it but tea. `I don't see any wine,' she remarked.

`There isn't any,' said the March Hare.

`Then it wasn't very civil of you to offer it,' said Alice angrily.

`It wasn't very civil of you to sit down without being invited,' said the March Hare.

`I didn't know it was YOUR table,' said Alice; `it's laid for a great many more than three.'

`Your hair wants cutting,' said the Hatter. He had been looking at Alice for some time with great curiosity, and this was his first speech.

`You should learn not to make personal remarks,' Alice said with some severity; `it's very rude.'

The Hatter opened his eyes very wide on hearing this; but all he SAID was, `Why is a raven like a writing-desk?'

`Come, we shall have some fun now!' thought Alice. `I'm glad they've begun asking riddles.-I believe I can guess that,' she added aloud.

`Do you mean that you think you can find out the answer to it?' said the March Hare.

`Exactly so,' said Alice.

`Then you should say what you mean,' the March Hare went on.

`I do,' Alice hastily replied; `at least-at least I mean what I say-that's the same thing, you know.'

`Not the same thing a bit!' said the Hatter. `You might just as well say that "I see what I eat" is the same thing as "I eat what I see"!'

`You might just as well say,' added the March Hare, `that "I like what I get" is the same thing as "I get what I like"!'

`You might just as well say,' added the Dormouse, who seemed to be talking in his sleep, `that "I breathe when I sleep" is the same thing as "I sleep when I breathe"!'

`It IS the same thing with you,' said the Hatter, and here the conversation dropped, and the party sat silent for a minute, while Alice thought over all she could remember about ravens and writing-desks, which wasn't much.

The Hatter was the first to break the silence. `What day of the month is it?' he said, turning to Alice: he had taken his watch out of his pocket, and was looking at it uneasily, shaking it every now and then, and holding it to his ear.

Alice considered a little, and then said `The fourth.'

`Two days wrong!' sighed the Hatter. `I told you butter wouldn't suit the works!' he added looking angrily at the March Hare.

`It was the BEST butter,' the March Hare meekly replied.

`Yes, but some crumbs must have got in as well,' the Hatter grumbled: `you shouldn't have put it in with the bread-knife.'

The March Hare took the watch and looked at it gloomily: then he dipped it into his cup of tea, and looked at it again: but he could think of nothing better to say than his first remark, `It was the BEST butter, you know.'

Alice had been looking over his shoulder with some curiosity. `What a funny watch!' she remarked. `It tells the day of the month, and doesn't tell what o'clock it is!'

`Why should it?' muttered the Hatter. `Does YOUR watch tell you what year it is?'

`Of course not,' Alice replied very readily: `but that's because it stays the same year for such a long time together.'

`Which is just the case with MINE,' said the Hatter.

Alice felt dreadfully puzzled. The Hatter's remark seemed to have no sort of meaning in it, and yet it was certainly English. `I don't quite understand you,' she said, as politely as she could.

`The Dormouse is asleep again,' said the Hatter, and he poured a little hot tea upon its nose.

The Dormouse shook its head impatiently, and said, without opening its eyes, `Of course, of course; just what I was going to remark myself.'

`Have you guessed the riddle yet?' the Hatter said, turning to Alice again.

`No, I give it up,' Alice replied: `what's the answer?'

`I haven't the slightest idea,' said the Hatter.

`Nor I,' said the March Hare.

Alice sighed wearily. `I think you might do something better with the time,' she said, `than waste it in asking riddles that have no answers.'

`If you knew Time as well as I do,' said the Hatter, `you wouldn't talk about wasting IT. It's HIM.'

`I don't know what you mean,' said Alice.

`Of course you don't!' the Hatter said, tossing his head contemptuously. `I dare say you never even spoke to Time!'

`Perhaps not,' Alice cautiously replied: `but I know I have to beat time when I learn music.'

`Ah! that accounts for it,' said the Hatter. `He won't stand beating. Now, if you only kept on good terms with him, he'd do almost anything you liked with the clock. For instance, suppose it were nine o'clock in the morning, just time to begin lessons: you'd only have to whisper a hint to Time, and round goes the clock in a twinkling! Half-past one, time for dinner!'

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. Shipping and handling costs are competitive as we maintain discounted contracts with FedEx. If you have any questions, contact University Archives prior to bidding. After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item. We currently ship via FedEx but if your purchase is shipping to a P.O. Box, we ship via USPS. All items are insured. We ship from our offices in Westport, CT. We may opt to use a third party shipper for very fragile, bulky or oversized items. Items requiring third party shipping will be denoted in the item description. Packages shipped internationally will have full value declared on shipping form. International buyers will be responsible for any customs fees incurred.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

June 14, 2017 10:30 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 20% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000