Illustrators of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland facts for kids
The books Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (published in 1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (published in 1871) are famous stories by Lewis Carroll. These books have been illustrated by over 100 different artists! This article focuses on the English versions of the books. Many artists have also drawn pictures for Alice books in other languages.
The very first artist to draw pictures for the Alice books was John Tenniel. His drawings for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass are probably the most well-known illustrations ever.
The first Alice's Adventures in Wonderland book was printed in 1865. But it was quickly taken off sale. Tenniel, the illustrator, was not happy with how the pictures looked. The printed pages were then sent to America. There, they were put together with a new title page and sold.
After Tenniel, the first artist to create new drawings for Alice was Beatrix Potter. She made six illustrations in the 1890s. However, her drawings were never published in a book.
Contents
Why So Many Illustrators?
Copyright Rules Change
Before 1891, publishers in America could print British books without asking permission. They did not have to pay the original publishers or authors. This changed in 1891. After that, American publishers needed to get permission from the UK publishers and authors.
Because of this, many American publishers printed the Alice books using Tenniel's original drawings. Blanche McManus was the first artist to try drawing completely new pictures for the Alice books in 1899.
Copyright Ends in Britain
In Britain and its colonies, the publisher Macmillan held the special right to publish Alice's Adventures in Wonderland until 1907. This meant only they could print the book.
When this special right ended in 1907, many other publishers quickly started printing their own versions of Alice. They wanted to add new pictures to the book. About 20 new editions of Alice appeared in just two years! The special right for Through the Looking-Glass lasted much longer, until 1948.
Famous Alice Illustrators
Many talented artists have brought Alice's world to life with their unique drawings. Here are some of the most well-known illustrators:
- John Tenniel: He created the original, famous illustrations for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1871). He also illustrated The Nursery "Alice" (1890).
- Blanche McManus: She was the first American artist to create new illustrations for the Alice books. Her drawings were published in 1899.
- Peter Newell: His illustrations for Alice came out in 1901. He also illustrated Looking-Glass in 1902.
- Bessie Pease Gutmann: Her Alice illustrations were first published in 1907.
- Arthur Rackham: He published a special edition of Alice in 1907. It was a limited edition, meaning only 1,130 copies were made.
- Charles Robinson: His version of Alice was published in 1907.
- Harry Rountree: He illustrated Alice in 1908. He also made new drawings for a 1928 edition.
- Mabel Lucie Attwell: Her charming illustrations for Alice were published in 1910.
- Alice B. Woodward: She illustrated Alice in 1913.
- Margaret W. Tarrant: Her edition of Alice in 1916 included 48 illustrations.
- Charles Folkard: He illustrated the poems from the Alice books when they were set to music in 1921.
- Willy Pogany: His illustrations for Alice were published in 1929.
- Honor C. Appleton: She illustrated Alice in 1936.
- Mervyn Peake: His unique illustrations first appeared in Sweden in 1946. They were published in London in 1954.
- Eileen Soper: She illustrated Alice in 1947.
- Pauline Baynes: Her illustrations for Alice came out around 1960.
- Tove Jansson: Famous for creating the Moomins, she illustrated a Swedish edition of Alice in 1966. The English version came out in 1977.
- Ralph Steadman: His distinct illustrations for Alice were published in 1967.
- Salvador Dalí: This famous surrealist artist created illustrations for Alice in 1969.
- Barry Moser: He illustrated a special limited edition of Alice in 1982.
- Anthony Browne: His illustrations for Alice were published in 1985. He won an award for his work.
- Helen Oxenbury: Her Alice illustrations were published in 1999. She won the Kate Greenaway Medal for her work.
- Robert Sabuda: He created a popular pop-up book version of Alice in 2003.
- Peter Blake: He illustrated Looking-Glass in 2004.
- Michael Foreman: His illustrations for Alice were published in 2004.
- Rodney Matthews: He illustrated Alice in 2008.
- Robert Ingpen: His illustrations for Alice were published in 2009.
- Yayoi Kusama: This modern artist illustrated Alice in 2012.
- Chris Riddell: His illustrations for Alice were published in 2020.
Many other artists have also created beautiful illustrations for the Alice books over the years. Each artist brings their own special style to the magical world of Wonderland!
Images for kids
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Alice by Arthur Rackham
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Alice by Blanche McManus
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Alice by Peter Newell
