Heritage & Culture

Alice in Wonderland

On a ‘golden afternoon’ in July 1862, the three young daughters of Henry Liddell, Vice Chancellor of Oxford University and Dean of Christ Church, rowed out onto the river Isis in the company of two adult guardians…

One was the Reverend Robinson Duckworth, the other a young mathematician of the college, named Charles Dodgson. As they rowed, Dodgson related a story to keep the children amused, based around the surreal adventures of a little girl who bore the same name as the middle Liddell sister – Alice. The children loved the story, so much so that in the coming months, Dodgson was moved to expand the tale and write it down for the girls to enjoy.

By 1865, that story had grown to 27,500 words, acquired new illustrations by the renowned artist John Tenniel, and was published by Macmillan under the title Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland. For this book of gloriously errant nonsense – the first of several – the young Oxford academic chose what has become the world’s most famous pseudonym: Lewis Carroll.

The Alice books have delighted and enthralled children and adults ever since. Now, a season of events at Peterborough Museum and local libraries brings the wonder of Alice’s world to life…

Looking in Wonderland – the art of Alice in Wonderland
An exhibition at Peterborough Museum, Saturday 4 July until Sunday 1 November 2015
Admission FREE (except on special event days)
To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the publication of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Peterborough Museum is staging a special exhibition of the iconic pictures from Lewis Carroll’s Wonderland books. The original illustrations for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass and what Alice found there were drawn by John Tenniel, the most famous of which are featured in this exhibition. Come face to face with the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, the King and Queen of Hearts, the Mock Turtle, the Cheshire Cat – and Alice herself in the very strange world of Wonderland!

For more information call (01733) 864663 or visit www.vivacity-peterborough.com
Peterborough Museum, Priestgate, Peterborough

There will also be themed storytimes at Vivacity Libraries, visit www.vivacity-peterborough.com for details

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