Nearly 2 weeks ago I went to the private view of the Alice in Wonderland at the Liverpool Tate. I got there late...as usual...so I headed up to find Di & Lorraine. I really enjoyed it..all the old manuscripts and the first presses of the book. And these amazing little tea sets - so cute.
I never knew that Lewis Carroll was his pen name and he was really called Charles Dodgson and Alice was based on the daughter of a vicar from Oxford from the Lidell family; Alice Liddell.
It seems from what I've read since that Charles has great affection for Alice Liddell and so I wondered where they both ended up; I found this info on another website (incompetech.com) Charles lived to see Alice in Wonderland become one of the most translated and beloved children's stories ever. He saw the first stage version in 1886, and saw edition after edition sell out. Charles died on 14 January 1898 of a severe bronchial infection, possibly aggravated by the newfangled asbestos fires he had had installed in his rooms to replace the unsafe coal fires. As for Alice, she eventually married one Reginald Hargreaves and sometimes toured to speak in celebration of one Lewis Carroll anniversary or another.
The Tate takes you through a little journey, of a book you remember from long ago, and I imagine many will wish to re-read after attending. I loved it as I love all the animals in it, and the crazy creatures he created. And it may be one of the reasons I have always loved animals. That along with Gerald Durrell's books!
So do go and see it if you get chance, it's on until 29th January 2012. Personally I wasn't keen on the contemporary art section that made up the second part of it - but it's all about personal taste, and I guess Art is there to evoke feelings of any kind.
Worth a trip....don't forget you looking glasses hehe!....x
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