The Real Alice
We all know the classic children's story Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll—but few know the story of the very real little girl who inspired the beloved tale.
She Came From A Large Family
Born in 1852, Alice Liddell was the fourth of ten children. When her father, Henry Liddell, became Dean of Christ Church in Oxford, the family moved to the new city—and an exciting chapter of Alice's life began.
She Conversed With Adults At A Young Age
Alice's parents became celebrities at Oxford, introducing their children to the glittering world of high society. She learned social graces and could carry on conversations with adults.
Lewis Carroll, Wikimedia Commons
She Was A Proper Young Lady
The Deanery hosted receptions, parties, and soirees. It was the perfect environment for the Liddell girls to grow into proper young ladies. Alice's mother already had her eye set on the future—and wanted to ensure that her girls would one day marry well.
Little did Alice know, she had yet to meet the man destined to become a defining part of her childhood.
Lewis Carroll, Wikimedia Commons
She Met Someone In The Garden
On April 25, 1856, Alice's life changed forever. She and her sisters Lorina and Edith had slipped away from the supervision of their governess to play in the garden. This is where she met 24-year-old Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll).
Oscar Gustave Rejlander, Wikimedia Commons
She Couldn't Sit Still
When Alice and her sisters first ran into Charles Dodgson, he was busy taking photographs of the cathedral. They had been explicitly drawn to him out of curiosity. And when Dodgson saw them, he attempted to take their portraits. Unfortunately, the girls couldn't sit still long enough for him to capture a decent photo.
But this was only the beginning of Dodgson's curious relationship with the Liddell family.
Lewis Carroll, Wikimedia Commons
Her Family Welcomed Him Into Their Home
Dogdson was already friends with Alice's brother Harry when he met her. As well, Alice's father happened to share Dodgson's interest in photography. This led to the Liddell family welcoming the young man into their home.
He began taking photographs of them—and their lives became fatefully intertwined.
Reginald Southey, Wikimedia Commons
He Took Pictures Of Children
Though Charles Dodgson, or Lewis Carroll, is best known as a writer, there was a moment in time where he was just as renowned for his photographs—most notably of children.
Lewis Carroll, Wikimedia Commons
He Let Them Play Dress-Up
Dodgson set up his studio and dark room close to Tom Tower—and it became a den of youthful delights. He had a collection of costumes for his subjects to play dress-up in. But that was only the tip of the iceberg.
Stuart Dodgson Collingwood, Wikimedia Commons
He Catered To Their Interests
In Dodgson's photography studio, one could find all kinds of diversions: toys, puzzles, and so many games. The children would never grow bored in a room like this, and could keep themselves preoccupied while Dodgson prepared his equipment.
She Was His Most Famous Muse
One of Dodgson's most famous photos of Alice is of her dressed as a beggar. However, the girls did far more with Dodgson than just pose for photos.
Lewis Carroll, Wikimedia Commons
Her Took Her On Outings
As time passed, the Liddell girls began spending a good amount of time with the young photographer. Chaperoned by their governess, Dodgson and the girls went on outings together. One of Alice's favorite places to visit was the University Museum.
She Loved The Museum
The University Museum utterly captivated Alice with its fascinating dinosaur skeletons and preserved wildlife specimens. She was particularly intrigued by the extinct Dodo—a creature that you might remember from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
The Importance Of The Dodo
In Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the character of the Dodo represents Dodgson himself. Some believe that Dodgson chose the Dodo because of his stutter. He often introduced himself by stammering, "Do-do-dodgson."
He Was A Master Storyteller
In addition to taking the girls out on interesting outings, Dodgson also employed his storytelling prowess, weaving stories for them while on their excursions. However, there was one story that would live on forever.
Stuart Dodgson Collingwood, Wikimedia Commons
The Beginning Of Alice in Wonderland
On July 4, 1962, Dodgson took the girls out on a boat. Floating along the Thames toward Godstow, Dodgson outdid himself when he told the story of a little girl named Alice, who falls into a rabbit hole and experiences the most fantastical adventure of her life.
Lewis Carroll, Wikimedia Commons
She Wanted Her Own Copy
Alice Liddell adored Dodgson's story so much, she asked him to give her a physical copy. The author obliged, but it took some time. He worked on the story slowly and even illustrated it. It wasn't until 1864, that he finally completed the manuscript.
He Dedicated It To Her
On November 26, 1864, Charles Dodgson finally granted Alice's wish, gifting her the manuscript for Alice's Adventures Under Ground. The dedication read, "A Christmas Gift to a Dear Child in Memory of a Summer's Day."
The Published Version Was Different
Of course, Alice's Adventures Under Ground is much different than the Alice's Adventures in Wonderland which we know and love. For one, the published version was almost twice as long and had different illustrations by John Tenniel. Tenniel's Alice bore little resemblance to Alice Liddell, who—judging by Dodgson's photos—had a dark brown bob.
Stuart Dodgson Collingwood, Wikimedia Commons
References To Alice
Though some have argued that Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is not about Alice Liddell, it's hard not to see the references to Alice in the books.
Julia Margaret Cameron, Wikimedia Commons
He Used Her Birthday
To begin with, Dodgson made the date of Alice's adventure May 4, which just happened to be Alice Liddell's birthday. He also dedicated the book "to Alice Pleasance Liddell."
Julia Margaret Cameron, Wikimedia Commons
Three Liddell Sisters
Secondly, there's also a part in the story where the Dormouse says, "Once upon a time there were three little sisters... and their names were Elsie, Lacie, and Tillie." Reportedly, the pronunciation of "Liddell" sounded more like "little." Therefore, the "three little sisters" could be referring to the three Liddell sisters.
However, there were also clues in the names, "Elsie," "Lacie," and "Tillie."
Lewis Carroll, Wikimedia Commons
What's In A Name?
"Elsie" likely refers to Lorina as the initials of her first and middle names were L.C.
"Lacie" is an anagram of "Alice."
"Tillie" likely refers to Edith as her nickname was "Matilda."
Julia Margaret Cameron, Wikimedia Commons
There Was Trouble In Paradise
Though Dodgson had gifted Alice with the manuscript, all was not well between the author and the Liddell family. During the summer of 1863, something had gone horribly wrong.
There Was A Mysterious Rift
Despite the seeming closeness between the Liddells and Dodgson, they mysteriously cut ties in June 1863. Oddly enough, there are also no records to explain the cause of this sudden break-up.
His Diary Entries Were Missing
The Liddell family never spoke about why Dodgson faded out of their lives, while Dodgson's own diary entries from June 27 to June 29 of 1863 are missing.
Historians, however, have their own opinions about what may have happened.
He May Have Wanted To Marry Her
Multiple biographers have speculated that Charles Dodgson was romantically interested in 11-year-old Alice and may have had plans to marry her.
Age Gap Relationships
Biographer Anne Clark argued that during the Victorian era, age gap relationships weren't as unsettling as they are today—and were even commonplace.
Missing Diary Entries
In 1996, another piece of the puzzle emerged. Karoline Leach—a British author—discovered the very telling "Cut pages in diary" document, a note that allegedly summed up the contents of Dodgson's missing journal entries.
A Revealing Note
This stand-in note for Dodgson's diary entries is said to be written by the author's niece: "L.C. learns from Mrs. Liddell that he is supposed to be using the children as a means of paying court to the governess—he is also supposed by some to be courting Ina."
A Hidden Scandal
The "Cut pages in diary" document hints that there may have been some scandalous gossip hovering over Dodgson's relationship with Lorina Liddell. One biographer, Jenny Woolf, believed it may have been Lorina who developed a strong attachment to the author.
However, despite much speculation, it is impossible to know what the truth of the matter is.
Museum of Photographic Arts Collections, Wikimedia Commons
Alice Grew Up
Following her close relationship with Charles Dodgson, Alice Liddell grew up. She toured Europe with her sisters Lorina and Edith, and one story claims that she even caught the eye of Queen Victoria's son, Prince Leopold.
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, Wikimedia Commons
She Settled Down
In the end, however, she did not marry a prince. At the age of 28, Alice wed a cricketer named Reginald Hargreaves. She went on to have three sons—one of whom she named Caryl.
Julia Margaret Cameron, Wikimedia Commons
She Sparked Rumors
Alice's decision to name her son "Caryl" definitely pricked up some ears as "Caryl" seemed to have a connection to Dodgson's pseudonym, Lewis Carroll. But Alice set the record straight, insisting that "Caryl" had nothing to do with "Carroll."
She Sold The Original Manuscript
Alice became known as Lady Hargreaves, but after her husband passed in 1926, she found herself in a financial predicament. To afford the upkeep of her house, she decided to sell Alice's Adventures Under Ground—the very first manuscript that Dodgson had gifted her.
It sold for £15,400, which would be around £1,100,000 today.
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