Book Review: Lewis Carroll by Anne Higonnet
A Collection of Photographs by the Author of Alice in Wonderland
Sep 14, 2008
Best known as the author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (first published in 1865) and Through the Looking Glass (first published in 1871), Lewis Carroll was also an early fan of the photographic medium and also excelled in this form of creative expression. Lewis Carroll (Phaidon, 2008) by Anne Higonnet contains a collection of more than fifty black and white photographs taken by Carroll, predominantly of his family, friends and colleagues.
Charles Dodgson and Lewis Carroll
Better known by his pen name of Lewis Carroll, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson was born in 1832. After completing his education, he took up a position as a lecturer in mathematics at Christ Church College in Oxford, where he remained for his entire working life.
Dodgson never married and this fact combined with the apparent pleasure he took in his friendships with children has lead many to speculate about his private life. This is particularly the case in relation to his friendship with Alice Liddell , the inspiration for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Despite the uncertainties that surround Dodgson’s private life , his exceptional creative ability is beyond question. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass are well established as classics of children’s literature.
An Excellent Collection of Victorian Photography
Even for those with no particular interest in Charles Dodgson/Lewis Carroll, Lewis Carroll offers a remarkable insight into Victorian life. The photographs included in the book particularly focus on his formal portraits and photographs of children, although he is also well regarded for his images of English landscapes and still life portraits.
The photographs include several images of Alice Liddell, both on her own and with her siblings. There are also portraits of Dodgson’s father and other family members including his brother Edwin and aunts Margaret Anne and Henrietta May Lutwidge.
Snapshots of Victorian Childhood
Many of Dodgson’s photographs were of children. Some, such as the portrait of “Two Alices” (Alice Emily Donkin and Alice Jane Donkin) are more formal in setting, but in many his young subjects are dressed as fictional characters or roles. These include a photograph of his brother Edwin Dodgson taken in 1857 as “The Young Mathematician”, an 1860 portrait of Alice Liddell as “Queen of the May” and the children of Rev. G Kitchin recreating the scene “St George and the Dragon” in 1875.
Alice Liddell and Alexandra Rhoda (Xie) Kitchin, one of Rev Kitchin’s daughters, were popular models for Dodgson. Xie was the subject of more than 50 photographs, more than any other child, and her costumes and poses ranged from playing the violin to posing as a Chinese merchant leaning against a pile of tea chests.
Dodgson’s photographs of children highlight the emphasis that Victorian society placed upon the division between childhood and the experience of adulthood. The innocence of childhood is well represented both in the more creative photographs and in the individual and group shots.
Capturing the Essence of the Victorian Era
Dodgson’s photography has preserved images of Victorian life for the enjoyment and study of future generations. In particular, his portraits of children offer the reader an opportunity to glimpse the simplicity and innocence of Victorian childhood.
Each dated photograph featured in Lewis Carroll is accompanied by a brief explanation of the significance of the photograph and/or its subject(s) by Anne Higonnet, the Professor of Art History at Barnard College, Columbia University. Higonnet specialises in nineteenth century art and the photography of childhood. Her introduction and professional insights into the photographs add greatly to the enjoyment of the book.
Lewis Carroll is published by Phaidon Press and distributed by Bookwise International and is available now in good bookstores.
Lewis Carroll (ISBN: 978-0-7148-4282-0, 128 pages, RRP AU$49.95)
