Author: Lewis Carroll. Illustrated by Margaret Tarrant.
Title: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Publisher: London and Melbourne, Ward, Lock & Co., Limited, circa 1916.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 7.5 x 5 inches.
Pages: 212 pages + publisher’s catalogue.
Binding: Attractive and very good publisher’s original turquoise cloth binding with black lettering to the spine and decorative vertical panel design to the front cover framing a circular pictorial onlay depicting Alice holding a flamingo croquet mallet (hinges fine, overall slightly scuffed - as shown). Preserved in the scarce original pictorial dust jacket printed in warm tan tones featuring the same circular illustration (dust jacket remains in very good condition with moderate edge wear and small losses at the spine ends - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover.
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean, some light foxing mainly on the outer edges of the text block and outer margins - as shown).
Illustrations: Illustrated with a single color frontispiece by Margaret Tarrant depicting Alice beside the glass table. The cover onlay and dust jacket illustration, also by Margaret Tarrant, depict Alice holding the flamingo croquet mallet.

Estimate: (USD 250–300).

The book: This attractive early twentieth-century edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was issued by Ward, Lock & Co. as part of the publisher’s “Lily Series,” a collection of popular literary classics presented in decorative cloth bindings for young readers and family libraries. The series included well-known titles such as Robinson Crusoe, Little Women, and Grimm’s Fairy Tales, all produced in uniform illustrated bindings.

Particularly appealing is the decorative binding centred around the pictorial onlay designed by Margaret Tarrant depicting Alice with the flamingo croquet mallet from the Queen’s croquet ground. The same charming illustration appears on the original dust jacket, creating a harmonious presentation between the book and its jacket. The interior of the volume is illustrated with a different color frontispiece by Tarrant portraying Alice beside the glass table early in her adventures.

Because the delicate paper jackets issued with children’s books were often discarded, examples retaining their original dust jackets have become increasingly scarce. Copies such as this one remain attractive examples of early twentieth-century British juvenile publishing and reflect the enduring appeal of Lewis Carroll’s imaginative Wonderland.

The author: Lewis Carroll (1832–1898), the pen name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, was an English mathematician, photographer, and writer whose Alice books transformed children’s literature. First published in 1865, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland introduced readers to a whimsical dream world filled with memorable characters including the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat, and the Mad Hatter. The work remains one of the most beloved and influential classics of children's literature.

The illustrator: Margaret Tarrant (1888–1959) was a British illustrator celebrated for her delicate and atmospheric artwork in children’s books and gift editions of the early twentieth century. Her illustrations, often characterized by soft colors and graceful figures, brought a gentle imaginative quality to classic stories and fairy tales. Her interpretation of Alice reflects the dreamlike charm that helped sustain the popularity of Carroll’s masterpiece for new generations of readers.