Author Topic: Alices Adventures In Wonderland  (Read 6496 times)

jbsbag

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Alices Adventures In Wonderland
« on: January 11, 2012, 09:59:10 pm »
Hello everyone, i have heard very great things about this site and hope to experience them first hand. I hope everyone is having a great day. If anyone knows anything about this book i have, i would be grateful to be pointed in the right direction. Its an older copy of Alices Adventures in Wonderland. It looks like the old ones i keep seeing pictures of on EBAY and such. Red cloth covers, Tenniel illustrations, 192 pages, alice holding something on front cover, inverted S in contents page, light blue end pages, the very last page of the story at the bottom says R. Clay, son, and Taylor Printers,Bread street Hill. But the difference with my copy and the ones i see on ebay and such is that the title page is missing anything on what year it is printed. No 58 thousandth or anything. The outside is very used, but still very much together, the cover has guilt lines around like a border 3 lines but the page edges are plain. ( i had seen an example where the pages were guilt golden too). The insides of the book do not look like they are extremely old,  i just had noticed today though, throughout the book like every 3 or so pages there was a letter of the alphabet at the bottom of the page, it went through a to z, not just on picture pages its like it was random. but every 3 pages. There is a crest on the page following the title, its the crest of Richard Clay, London, guessing thats the publishing co. after follows a 2 to 3 pg sonnet, i think its the beginning of Dodgeson (Carroll ) starting his book with notes while on his outing with children. I dont know why it bugs me so much, i love the book. Please help me.
« Last Edit: January 12, 2012, 08:09:02 am by jbsbag »

talesofthesevenseas

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Re: Aliced Adventures In Wonderland
« Reply #1 on: January 11, 2012, 11:15:49 pm »
Welcome to the forum! A picture would help, including the page with the publisher's info. I have found that a good way to get a ballpark value on a book is to search for a similar one on http://www.abebooks.com. It is a huge hub for booksellers and it is a great way to get an approximate value. Without a photo, you are probably the best person to do that! Let us know what you find!
Antiqueaholic in recovery

jbsbag

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Re: Alices Adventures In Wonderland
« Reply #2 on: January 12, 2012, 08:19:36 am »
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jbsbag

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Re: Alices Adventures In Wonderland
« Reply #3 on: January 12, 2012, 09:10:29 am »
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jbsbag

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Re: Alices Adventures In Wonderland
« Reply #4 on: January 12, 2012, 09:12:02 am »
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mart

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Re: Alices Adventures In Wonderland
« Reply #5 on: January 12, 2012, 10:31:40 am »
Are the illustrations colorized or are the all B&W ??

jbsbag

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Re: Alices Adventures In Wonderland
« Reply #6 on: January 12, 2012, 11:11:15 am »
All Black and white. I have found quite a few of this book on abe and ebay and such, but they all have dates on the title page, as well as a number printed, like 58th thousand or 62nd thousand, mine just doesn't. I have found that there are also a few variations of the gold etched pic on the front too. Mines alice holding the Cheshire Cat, i think.

CuriousCollector

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Re: Alices Adventures In Wonderland
« Reply #7 on: January 12, 2012, 01:45:40 pm »
What you MIGHT have is the second edition.  The first was recalled by the author because of the poor quality of the Tenniel illustrations.  The second edition is the basis for all future editions. 

The problems -- it's in extremely rough shape, the gold leaf is about gone, and you mention it's missing the page which would verify its printing and copyright year.  Books are only valuable if rare, if they have a tremendous provenance (like, from the private library of Winston Churchill), or both.

Compare it to this one that sold at Christie's  for over $21,000, and which was accompanied by a signed letter.

http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=5280729

And before you go thinking something like, "It's 25% as good at that one, so it should be worth 25% of that price", that's now how it works.  *IF* you have a legitimate second edition, you need to have it authenticated, then you'll learn the value.  I wouldn't go counting on big bucks.  I've got many pristine first editions of 20th century works, worth maybe $50 each.  Okay, one might be worth about $100, for the rare wartime paper rationing warning on the title page, but you could sell all my first editions and still not make the mortgage payment this month.

mart

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Re: Alices Adventures In Wonderland
« Reply #8 on: January 12, 2012, 04:50:41 pm »
This one looks like a library edition !!  Like I read in the 50`s !!

jbsbag

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Re: Alices Adventures In Wonderland
« Reply #9 on: January 12, 2012, 07:34:08 pm »
Would library edition explain the lack of a date, doesn't look like any pages are missing. And it does kind of look like the 50's or such.

mart

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Re: Alices Adventures In Wonderland
« Reply #10 on: January 12, 2012, 08:18:29 pm »
Well , I did a bit of looking on your book !! And the reason there are so many in different versions as you found !!  I saw where you had checked on another forum !!  In the UK the copyright ran out in 1907 and Alice in Wonderland as we know it went into the public domain !! This means that anyone that wanted to print and sell this book could do it !! There were many reprints !! Your book was a lesser quality and that is why it is in black and white !! Before 1907 the books that were printed were all colorized as the author required !! After that the publisher could literally do as he wanted with the book !! If he wanted a date page he could put it in or save a sheet of paper and leave it out !!  It was all up to the printer !!  And like CC said the first printing was held back because of the illustrations but it did sell later, after the second printing sold out !! I thought that was interesting !!

jbsbag

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Re: Alices Adventures In Wonderland
« Reply #11 on: January 12, 2012, 09:35:10 pm »
Most of that makes since, except i have not seen any of Tenneils Illustrations in color?  What website did you find most information?......and thank you very much for helping me with this. You are a very nice person.

jbsbag

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Re: Alices Adventures In Wonderland
« Reply #12 on: January 12, 2012, 09:40:35 pm »
I'm sorry, you both are very nice people, to help someone you have never met. I have always thought, and acted , with helping fellow man. I will return this kindness with trying to help anyone i can on this site. Thanks again, and good night.

mart

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Re: Alices Adventures In Wonderland
« Reply #13 on: January 13, 2012, 09:38:47 am »
Most of that makes since, except i have not seen any of Tenneils Illustrations in color?  What website did you find most information?......and thank you very much for helping me with this. You are a very nice person.

Thanks but that is what we are here for,,to help !!  Wikipedia has a lot of info and is where I found most of it !!  Sometimes you can get additional info by checking sale sites,, places where others have inquired about the same thing and just following where the tips lead !!  Although some things may not be accurate,,its as close as we can find usually !!  Oh yes,, I forgot,, later there was another illustrator for the book !!  I forgot his name though !!