"Beyond the Appliances of Art": Lewis Carroll and His Illustrators

Opening times: Tuesday 10am – 1pm;  Wednesday 1 – 4pm; Thursday 10am – 1pm. 

This exhibition explores how Lewis Carroll worked with artists to create the illustrations for his books and to make sure that the pictures in his books matched his ideas and fitted his text.  The exhibition explores how Carroll's works have inspired later artists and illustrators to produce their own interpretations.  It also celebrates the 150th anniversary of the publication of Carroll’s The Hunting of the Snark. 

A highlight of the exhibition is the Michelson Alice, donated jointly to the Bodleian Libraries and Christ Church in 2025 by Ellen A. Michelson, a distinguished collector and philanthropist.  The Michelson Alice is one of just 22 known copies of the 1865 true first edition of Carroll’s Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and was Lewis Carroll’s personal working copy, enhanced by his markings as he planned the contents of The Nursery Alice and by ten of John Tenniel’s original preliminary pencil drawings for the illustrations of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.  

The exhibition also showcases original sketches by John Tenniel, Carroll’s illustration plan for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, original sketches and proofs for some of Carroll’s other works along with later artists’ responses to The Hunting of the Snark.  

Venue: Christ Church Upper Library, St Aldates, Oxford OX1 1DP.  Please enter Christ Church via Tom Gate on St Aldates. Please note that there is no step-free access to the Upper Library. 

Entry: Admission is free.  There is no need to book a ticket or timed slot to enter – just drop in at any time during exhibition opening hours.