Last Saturday was Alice's Day in Oxford. It is a day where the creator and the Alice of Wonderland are celebrated in various way and at venues all over the city. The Story Museum along with the Oxford City Council and other venues hosted all kinds of fun in remembrance of Oxford's own Charles Dodgson and Alice Liddell. Below is the story of the creation of Alice in Wonderland as is posted in the Natural History Museum.
The Library at Christchurch has an exhibit of photos, drawings and writings of Alice Liddell along with these special characters from Dodgson's stories
Charles Dodgson was fascinated with a new technology of his time -- photography. He took several photographs of Alice and her sisters. This is one his photos of Alice when she was 10-years-old.
Alice became quite an accomplished artist and loved to draw and paint with watercolors. She also had a great sense of humor, as is evident in her writings and drawings on display.
Alice's Day helped me realize the significance of Alice and Wonderland. According to The Story Museum "Alice's Day commemorates an important moment for children's literature and for Oxford. Alice became one of the most popular, most widely quoted and most widely translated children's book every written, with editions even in Esperanto and shorthand. It marked the birth of modern children's literature.
After Alice, children's books became less stuffy and more entertaining. Oxford became a world center of children's stories and inspirational home to many authors and illustrators including Kenneth Graham, CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien and Philip Pullman.
As a child I wasn't very fond of the story of Alice in Wonderland. It was too bizarre for my tastes. I now have a new appreciation of Alice after living in Oxford. There are so many references in the stories to real events, traditions, and people from that time in Oxford. In the same way that Oxford is everywhere in the Alice stories, Alice is everywhere in Oxford. A few of my Alice and Oxford connections are:
Alice's Shop (83 St. Aldgate's) was the original Old Sheep Shop that Alice and her sisters loved to frequent (written about in Through The Looking Glass)
The Natural History Museum -- another favorite of Alice and Dodgson (Dodgson had a stutter and when he introduced himself would often say, Charles D..D..Do..Dodgson. It make light of this he game himself the nickname of Dodo Dodgson --hence, he is the Dodo in his stories)
Punting on the Thames -- as popular today as it was in Alice's day
In Christchurch's dinning hall there is a narrow spiral staircase which descends to a senior common room. It is said to be the inspiration for the rabbit hole. There is also a large Chestnut tree in the courtyard that served as the inspiration for the Cheshire Cat’s favorite place to flash its famous grin.
And finally The Story Museum, such a terrific and imaginative place for interactive learning. It has an entire room dedicated to an exhibition about Alice in Wonderland. They also host Alice walks where you can learn more about the people behind the story. And, if you are lucky, even have a caucus race around a tree.
What is your favorite Alice/Oxford connection? I'd love to know.
Begin at the beginning," the King said, very gravely, "and go on till you come to the end: then stop.”
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