The seven-year-old English girl called Alice
is the main character in Lewis Carroll’s classic stories
"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"
and the sequel "Through the Looking Glass and
what Alice Found There".
Carroll has described Alice as “loving, courteous,
trustful and curious” in the article ‘Alice
on Stage’. Alice is also courageous and very concerned
about rudeness against others.
In the story Alice falls through a rabbit hole and finds
herself in Wonderland. There she meets peculiar characters;
Cheshire Cat,
the White Rabbit, the Mad
Hatter, the Caterpillar, Queen
of Hearts and many others. Alice is prompted
to figure out who she actually is, and in the process she
changes size several times. Finally Alice finds herself
in a courtroom of the Queen of Hearts being ordered to give
evidence in a matter of stolen tarts.
Alice
in Wonderland Costume
Alice
wears a light blue dress with a white apron and black shoes
in Disney’s Alice in Wonderland movie. Similar costume
is featured by John Tenniel in the Alice in Wonderland book.
Alice in Wonderland costume is a perfect
dress-up outfit for girls and young women. Many varieties
and sizes are available in our shop.
Alice In Wonderland
history through the centuries
Alice has been one of the favourite fictive characters
of children all over the world for almost 150 years. Here
we have pictures to show how Alice has changed over time:
The Real Alice In Wonderland-
Alice Liddell
Lewis Carroll's Inspiration for Alice in Wonderland
Alice
Pleasance Liddell was born in Oxford, on May 4th
1852. She was the fourth child of Lorina Hanna and Henry
George Liddell, Dean of Christ Church. Alice had two older
brothers and an older sister. Later on she also had six
younger siblings, but two of her brothers died young.
Alice grew up primarily in the company of the two sisters
nearest to her in age: Lorina, who was three years older,
and Edith, who was two years younger.
The Beginning of Alice
in Wonderland
At
the age of 10 Alice was spending an afternoon with Lorina
and Edith travelling on a boat to go to a picnic with Charles
Lutwidge Dodgson and his friend, Reverend Robinson
Duckworth. To keep the girls entertained Dodgson told them
a story of a girl named Alice and her magical adventures
under ground. Alice’s sisters appeared in the story
as well. The girls loved the story, and Alice Liddell asked
Dodgson to write it down for her.
Two years later, in 1864, Dodgson gave Alice the manuscript
of Alice's Adventures Under Ground. The
girls loved the story and so did the children of George
MacDonald, who was Dodgson’s mentor. Delighted with
the reception of his manuscript Dodgson persuaded the famous
illustrator John Tenniel to draw illustrations for the story.
He also decided to publish the book under the name “Lewis
Carroll”. The manuscript was retitled Alice's Adventures
in Wonderland.
In June 1865, Dodgson's tale was published as Alice's
Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
with illustrations by John Tenniel.
Later years of Alice
Liddell
In 1880 Alice was married to Reginald Hargreaves at the
age of 28. They had three sons but unfortunately two of
them, Alan Knyveton Hargreaves and Leopold Reginald Hargreaves,
were killed in World War I. Caryl Liddell Hargreaves was
the only surviving son who was to give Alice her only grandchild,
a girl. Alice was an educated woman and she lived the life
of a land-lady. She was also an enthusiastic painter.
After the death of husband Reginald Hargreaves Alice sold
her manuscript of "Alice's Adventures Under
Ground" in Sotheby’s auction house in
1928. It was bought by an American who paid 15,400 pounds
for it. That was an enormous amount of money in those days.
In 1932, at the age of 80, Alice published her own memoirs
and two years later, on 15 November 1934, she died in Westerham,
Kent.
