Christ Church Oxford and the Bodleian Libraries secure unique copy of 'Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland'

• The most important of only 22 known surviving copies of the first – subsequently withdrawn – edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has been jointly acquired by Christ Church Oxford and the Bodleian Libraries.
• The book includes handwritten annotations by Lewis Carroll and ten original drawings of famous images from the book by its illustrator John Tenniel.
• This acquisition is a gift from a private collector and philanthropist in the US and will go on public display at the Bodleian Libraries and Christ Church, Oxford, the first time it has been publicly displayed in the UK.
   

Christ Church, Oxford, and the Bodleian Libraries today announce they have become joint owners of an exceptionally rare first edition of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865). The book was previously owned by Carroll himself and has never before been exhibited in the UK. Handwritten annotations in the margins reveal the author’s thinking as he prepared to adapt the 1865 book into The Nursery “Alice”, a version of the story intended for children under five.

The book, now known as the 'Michelson Alice', also includes ten original drawings by John Tenniel, the story’s first illustrator. The first edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was printed by Oxford University Press for publication in 1865 but was withdrawn by Carroll after the artist John Tenniel expressed dissatisfaction with the poor printing quality of his illustrations. Tenniel was a famous artist at the time and Carroll, an unknown author, complied with his wishes to suppress the publication. While he did his best to recall the copies he had already given away, a few escaped his efforts. An ‘improved’ edition appeared later that year. 

Following cataloguing and digitisation, the book will go on display from Friday 16 – Monday 19 January in Blackwell Hall at the Weston Library, the Bodleian Libraries’ public visitors’ space. It will then take pride of place in the Bodleian Libraries’ forthcoming exhibition Pets and their People from March 2026. The exhibition, curated by Professor Charles Foster, draws from his book of the same name and explores how our deep relationship with animals has evolved over time. Real-life pets inspired many of the animals in Carroll’s story, including the famous Cheshire Cat.

Christ Church will mark the return of the book to Oxford and the 150th anniversary of the publication of The Hunting of the Snark in an exhibition in the college’s Upper Library: ‘Beyond the Appliances of Art: Lewis Carroll and His Illustrators’ will detail the sometimes fractious relationship between Lewis Carroll and the different artists who illustrated his books.

Carroll, whose real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, studied at Christ Church, and subsequently remained there until his death, serving in several roles including lecturer in Mathematics, a sub-librarian in the college library and curator of the Senior Common Room.

Christ Church and the Bodleian Libraries joined together in their efforts to acquire the book following a competitive process initiated by philanthropist Ellen A Michelson, in which several institutions were invited to make a case for receiving the gift. Michelson is a distinguished collector and philanthropist and member of the Grolier Club, the oldest and largest society for bibliophiles in the US.
Institutions were assessed on factors including how significant the work would be for their collection, their capacity to house and preserve the text, its research value to the institution, and plans for public access and engagement.

Ellen A Michelson said:

When I began the search for the best permanent new home for this unique piece of literary history, I wanted to be sure it would not only be properly preserved, but also available for future research and public appreciation. Now that the book will reside in its spiritual home in Oxford, I look forward to it being enjoyed by students and Alice enthusiasts for generations to come.

The Reverend Professor Sarah Foot, Dean of Christ Church, said:

Following many years in the US, this edition is coming home to Christ Church and the Bodleian. Lewis Carroll himself had a lifelong connection to Christ Church and its library, and would undoubtedly be pleased this historic copy, which contains his original thoughts and reflections, has ended up here. We hope it will inspire future generations of scholars and budding writers at Christ Church and beyond.

Richard Ovenden, Bodley’s Librarian and Helen Hamlyn Director of Oxford University Libraries, said:

The Bodleian is honoured to become jointly responsible for the preservation and display of this unique work, which is of clear historical significance to Oxford and the UK as a whole. Of all children’s books, Alice is among the most influential and this copy is undoubtedly the most important. We are proud and excited to be able to use the text to advance Carroll scholarship, display it for the enjoyment of the public, and deepen our understanding of this seminal figure in British literature.