Alice in Wonderland – Illustrated Bibliography p3 (Vintage Editions)
Collecting » Children » Alice in Wonderland » Antique Editions
Collecting Alice in Wonderland - Beautiful Antique Editions
The Illustrated Alice Bibliography, Part 3
This page is a continuation of the illustrated bibliography of Alice in Wonderland editions – here you can enjoy looking at the most beautiful copies that were produced between 1865 when Alice was first published, up until to 1969. If you noticed a sudden rush of editions starting around 1907, that was when the British copyright on the text ran out!
(Page 1 and Page 2 of the bibliography have reviews of later illustrated editions of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass books, Page 4 has some fun Alice-inspired series spin-offs and gift ideas, Page 5 has interesting foreign editions, while the bookshelf tour has a video of my own collection).
Most of these editions are vintage, but some of the nicest have been reprinted so you can still get a lovely copy without breaking the bank.
Jump to: Contemporary editions (2010-present) | Information age (1970-2009) ← | Antique: Midcentury (1930-1970) [this page] | Antique: Early editions (1865-1929) [also this page] | → Alice Spin-Off Stories | Gifts, trinkets & other fun Wonders from Wonderland | Alice in Translation
Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links for which I may be compensated (this does not affect my reviews nor cost you any money, but helps support my site hosting costs). I deeply appreciate your support of my site if you use these links, but warmly encourage you to buy from your local Indie bookshop if you have the opportunity.
Mid-century Alice (1930-1970)
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Illustrated by Salvador Dalí
LE Maecenas Press, 1969 / Princeton Press reprint, 2015
In 1969, Spanish artist Salvador Dali was commissioned by New York’s Maecenas Press-Random House to illustrate a special edition of the Carroll classic, consisting of 12 heliogravures — one for each chapter of the book and an original signed etching in four colors as the frontispiece. His vibrantly coloured bizarre and surrealist style emphasizes the absurdities and dream-like qualities of Wonderland. An affordable reprint was issued in 2015.
➡ Find a reprint at Amazon
➡ LE OOP. Look for a copy at Abes.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Illustrated by Janet & Anne Grahame Johnstone
World Distributors, 1968
These British twin sisters are best known for their delicate and detailed artwork, and their Wonderland is consequently a bright and playful place.
❦ Check out the Grahame Johnstone twins’ illustrated bibliography for more of their delightful work.
➡ OOP. Look for a copy at Abes.
Illustrated by Ralph Steadman
Dobson 1967, Jonathan Cape 1986, Firefly 2010
Steadman’s Alice was first published by Dobson in 1967 with his Looking-Glass published by MacGibbon & Kee in 1972. These volumes have been since reprinted a couple of times. Steadman is best known for his ink-blot style drawings. Many of the Wonderland characters in his version wear Union Jack punk sunglasses. His Alice is audacious and irreverent, and occasionally inappropriate, so it’s definitely a version for adults.
➡ OOP. Find a reprint at Amazon
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Illustrated by Tove Jansson
Swedish edition 1966, Delacorte Press 1977, Tate Publishing 2011
Tove is the Swedish-speaking Finiish artist best known for her Moomin world. Her fantastical Alice is a delight and was recently published in English for the first time in 2011 by London’s Tate Museum.
➡ Find a reprint at Amazon
Alice Through The Pillar-Box and what she found there, a philatelic fantasy
By Gerald M. King
In 1965, Gerald M. King decided that since the G.P.O. was not celebrating the centennial anniversary of the publication of Alice in Wonderland with a commemorative stamp, he would create his own set of fantasy stamp designs. This idea grew until it evolved into a book brimming with clever references to the story and showcasing Mr. King’s clear love of philately. In it Wonderland stamps and envelopes sent through the Wonderland post to and from various characters are paired with relevant quotes from the books and various notes about the fantasy artefacts and their origins.
➡ OOP. Look for a copy at Abes.
Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass (OOP)
Illustrated by Pauline Baynes
Blackie 1960
Alice envisioned by the well known illustrator of Narnia and Middle Earth. This edition has a colour frontispiece and b&w internal illustrations.
➡ OOP. Look for a copy at Abes.
Illustrated by Willy Schermelé
Juvenile Productions, 1960
This is an abridgement of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland” for very young children. Wilhelmina Schermelé was a Dutch illustrator and author of children’s books including the “Winkie” series. Her wonderland has a very classic 50s fairyland feel to it.
➡ OOP. Look for a copy at Abes.
Illustrated by Mary Blair
Disney, 1950; Re-released with story by Jon Scieszca Disney 2006
A whimsical retelling of the Alice story, illustrated with concept art for the original Disney movie by Mary Blair.
➡ Find it at Amazon
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Illustrated by Leonard Weisgard
Harper 1949
One of the earliest colour editions, Weisgard has illustrated this edition in gorgeous mid-century graphic style.
➡ OOP. Look for a copy at Abes.
Alice au pays des merveilles [French ed]
Illustrated by Adrienne Segur
Flammarion, 1949
Ségur’s images are wonderfully delightful in any setting, but they are produced in an unusually large format for this 1949 edition that is absolutely sublime. *Note this is a French language edition
➡ OOP. Look for a copy at Abes.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (OOP) and Through the Looking-Glass (OOP)
Illustrated by Mervyn Peake
Zephyr 1946, Wingate 1954, Bloomsbury 2001
Peake was born and spent his childhood in China. He is most famous for his Gormenghast series, and his illustrations for Alice are stunning black and white drawings brilliantly capture the dangerous nature of Wonderland.
➡ OOP. Look for a copy of Alice at Abes.
➡ OOP. Look for a copy of Looking Glass at Abes.
Illustrated by Rene Cloke
Gawthorne 1943, Award reprint 2020
A very playful Alice drawn in classic 40’s illustration style. There have been multiple versions of this edition released and although it’s out of print at the moment, it is fairly easy to find second hand.
Adapted by F Lee, illustrated by Honor C Appleton
Harrap, 1936
This edition has been adapted for younger children, and features a colour frontispiece and B&W illustrations by Appleton.
➡ OOP. Look for a copy at Abes.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Illustrated by Willy Pogany
Dutton 1929, Dover reprint 2009
Pogany was a Hungarian illustrator, heavily influenced by Asian art, and his illustrations have a distinctively 20’s feel, with Alice looking like a little flapper. Dover put out an inexpensive b&w reprint in 2009.
➡ Find a reprint at Amazon
➡ 1st ed OOP. Look for a copy at Abes.
Early editions
Illustrated by Gwynedd M Hudson
Hodder & Stoughton, 1922
Hudson was known as a poster artist, and her depiction of Alice is subdued and quite dark in tone, while the text itself featured a bright red graphic design treatment (be careful of cheaper reproductions, which have the internals in black only).
➡ OOP. Look for a copy at Abes.
Illustrated by Charles Folkard
Black, 1921, reprinted 1978
The poems from the Alice books set to music by Lucy E Broadwood, published by Black in 1921, reprinted 1978.
➡ OOP. Look for a copy at Abes.
Illustrated by Margaret W Tarrant
Ward Lock 1916
Tarrant’s Alice is bright, sweet, wholesome, and idealized. This edition featured 48 coloured plates.
➡ OOP. Look for a copy at Abes.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Illustrated by Alice B Woodward
Bell & Sons 1913, HarperCollins 1985
Alice B Woodward was an English illustrator, known both for her children’s literature as well as for her scientific illustrations. There are 16 colour illustrations in her version, which has been reprinted a number of times.
➡ OOP. Look for a copy at Abes.
-
- Alice by Alice B Woodward cover
Illustrated by Mabel Lucie Attwell
Raphael Tuck 1910, Macmillan 2017
Attwell is most famous for her trademark style of cuddly, chubby cheeked children and her version of Alice is very innocent and sweet. Macmillan reprinted this version in a beautiful gift edition in 2017.
➡ Find a copy at Amazon
➡ OOP. Look for a copy at Abes.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Illustrated by Harry Rountree
Thomas Nelson and Sons, 1908
Reprint Calla Editions, 9781606600146, 2011
Harry Rountree was one of the best-known illustrators in London in the early 1900s. His Alice is charmingly illustrated in line and plate with 92 colour illustrations.
➡ OOP. Look for a copy at Abes.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Illustrated by Charles Robinson
Cassell 1907, Franklin Library 1981
Robinson’s full-page illustrations are noteworthy for their swirling embellishments, and inventive page layouts with narrow vignettes cutting through the text and the margins featuring tiny figures running about.
➡ OOP. Look for a copy at Abes.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Illustrated by Arthur Rackham
William Heinemann 1907
Reprint Easton Press facsimile 2008, Flame Tree Studio 2018
Rackham’s Alice is charming, and his images are beautiful yet also capture the mystery of the work. Many artists see his artwork for this edition as a pinnacle of Alice illustration. While Alice is portrayed realistically, the surrounding characters are more grotesque – a blend of realism and fantasy that echoes the tensions of the text.
Easton Press recently released a gorgeous facsimile edition in white leather, limited to 800 copies. But, more affordably, Flame Tree Studio has released a nice edition featuring artwork by both John Tenniel and Arthur Rackham (b&w images only though in the Flame Tree edition).
➡ Find a copy at Amazon
➡ Original LE OOP. Look for a copy at Abes.
➡ Easton Press LE OOP. Look for a copy at Abes.
The “Little Folks” Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and The “Little Folks” Through the Looking-Glass
Illustrated by John Tenniel
Macmillan 1907
Macmillan facsimile 2015
The ‘Little Folks’ edition is a charming miniature edition of Lewis Carroll’s classic tale which was specially abridged for younger readers. I am typically not a huge fan of abridged texts, but this version was actually done by the author himself. Both volumes feature more than 30 brightly coloured illustrations by Sir John Tenniel, featuring Alice in a red dress. With luxurious red Wibalin binding and gold sprayed edges.
➡ Find Alice at Amazon
➡ Find Looking Glass at Amazon
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Illustrated by Peter Newell
Harper & Brothers, 1901
Newell was an American artist and writer, who was also known for his humorous drawings and poems from the 1880s and 90s. His soft humorous pencil drawings were much friendlier than Tenniel’s edgy pen and ink. The text in this edition was placed in elegant decorative borders drawn by Robert Mary Wright.
➡ OOP. Look for a copy at Abes.
Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass
Illustrated by Blanche McManus
M. F. Mansfield & A. Wessels, 1899
Blanche was an American writer and artist, famed for her delicate watercolours and sinuous lines. This was the first illustrated edition to compete with Tenniel, published after the author’s death. It featured eleven full-page plates printed in black and white with green and red accents drawn in a very different, flatter style.
➡ Find a copy at Abes
Illustrated by John Tenniel & Emily Gertrude ThomsonMacmillan 1890, Macmillan facsimile 2015
The Nursery Alice, originally published by Macmillan & Co. in 1890, was the very first colour edition of Alice. With a new, younger readership in mind, Carroll rewrote Alice, simplifying and abridging the original text, while Tenniel redrew, enlarged and coloured twenty of his iconic illustrations (with Alice here in a yellow dress), along with the delightful cover artwork by Emily Gertrude Thomson.
➡ Find a copy at Amazon
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Illustrated by John Tenniel
Appleton/Macmillan 1866 (US)
An original printing of Alice was undertaken by the Clarendon Press in Oxford in early 1865 and famously recalled because John Tenniel considered the printing unsatisfactory. In April 1866 Dodgson (having consulted Tenniel) authorised Macmillan to sell 1000 sets of the recalled 1865 sheets to the New York publisher, D. Appleton with a new title page printed at the Clarendon Press and bound in London. Thus, although distributed in America, the Appleton edition actually represents the earliest practically obtainable issue of the original printing of Alice in Wonderland.
➡ OOP. Look for a copy at Abes.
Alice’s Adventures Underground
Illustrated by Charles Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll)
Pavilion Books 1985, Folio Society/British Library LE 2010
Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) presented a hand-written copy of the story he wrote for Alice Liddell to her for Christmas in 1864.
Several facsimiles of the book area available – the most luxurious is the leather-bound Folio Society/British Library limited edition, which is accompanied by a companion booklet by Sally Brown.
➡ OOP. Find a copy at Abes
