Always wanted to own a first edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland? Then it’s time to win the lottery, because on 16 June, a first edition will be auctioned at Christie’s in New York!
The book is one of the only 23 surviving copies, of which all but five are in public institutions. This specific copy was given by Lewis Carroll to George William Kitchin, a colleague of Carroll’s at Christ Church. Kitchin later gave the book to his daughter Alexandra (‘Xie’) Rhoda Kitchin, who was one of Carroll’s favourite photographic models.
There are currently 640 copies of the Premium Edition (which is machine bound, with a fake leather jacket) left, and 196 Limited Editions (hand bound, with genuine leather jackets). You can only order them in 2016, because after that, the publisher’s contract with the British Library expires.
