Context
The stories of little Alice and her adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, have had an inestimable impact on children’s literature and on publishing: it’s never been out of print. Tenniel, the first illustrator also had an ongoing impact on later versions of Alice, on how “Wonderland” and its denizens were viewed. The Mad Hatter’s hat with price tag, for example were his creation (Ovenden and Davis, quoted by Brooker, 107). The overall cultural impact of the story has been equally pervasive. A (very) short list of media influence would extend from movies (from the first, in 1903, to Disney in 1951 and Tim Burton’s version of 2010), theater (the first, a musical, was written in 1886 by Henry Saville Clarke and closely overseen by Carroll), not to mention many general allusions including advertising and music. Bands like The Psychedelic Furs, and Elvis Costello, among others, have alluded to Alice. Jefferson Airplane made what may be the most famous reference, with “White Rabbit,” from their 1967 album “Surrealistic Pillow.” Two years later, in 1969, in a culture of Op and Psychedelic Art, focused on presenting altered perceptions of reality, Random House would turn to the world’s best known Surrealist to create a special edition of Alice: Salvador Dali.
The 1969 Dali version of Alice was an exclusive edition offered by Maecenas (of Random House) as a Book of the Month. 2800 were printed, with a 2500 regular edition, 200 special (double) and 100 with lithographs signed by Dali. It was expensive then, and is far more so now. This limited the audience, and therefore the impact. That may be about to change. Upon reaching the 150th anniversary of the first publication of Alice in Wonderland, Princeton University Press produced a version that makes the Dali illustrations available to a much larger audience. The deluxe edition includes two introductory essays by Mark Burstein, the President of the American Lewis Carroll Society, and Thomas Banchoff, a mathematician who met with Dali to discuss projects inspired by Dali’s ongoing interest in mathematical and scientific developments. With events around the 150th anniversary and the new, more widespread availability of the illustrations, (as well as projects like this one), Dali’s Alice may well impact future versions of this favorite tale.
The 1969 Dali version of Alice was an exclusive edition offered by Maecenas (of Random House) as a Book of the Month. 2800 were printed, with a 2500 regular edition, 200 special (double) and 100 with lithographs signed by Dali. It was expensive then, and is far more so now. This limited the audience, and therefore the impact. That may be about to change. Upon reaching the 150th anniversary of the first publication of Alice in Wonderland, Princeton University Press produced a version that makes the Dali illustrations available to a much larger audience. The deluxe edition includes two introductory essays by Mark Burstein, the President of the American Lewis Carroll Society, and Thomas Banchoff, a mathematician who met with Dali to discuss projects inspired by Dali’s ongoing interest in mathematical and scientific developments. With events around the 150th anniversary and the new, more widespread availability of the illustrations, (as well as projects like this one), Dali’s Alice may well impact future versions of this favorite tale.
Interdisciplinary: Between Art and Text
The combination of Carroll’s text and Dali’s art definitely enhances the surrealism framing both works. Though Alice is considered a work of children’s literature, Dali’s illustrations are not, thus making the story of Alice evermore relevant to adult generations. This book also creates a space for art and text to connect beyond images relying on text or the vice versa; instead, we end up with an interdisciplinary approach to literature that attracts a greater audience. More generally, the text of Alice easily lends itself to illustration as much of the plot relies heavily on imagination and a suspension of disbelief. With each new illustration, there is also a new cultivated audience. And, as mentioned elsewhere, Dali’s illustrations create an exclusivity and eliteness that surrounds Alice, one that did not exist before.
In terms of book history, this goes to show how text can be manipulated or hold different values depending on the materiality of the book or codex that houses it. And with Dali’s adaptation, Alice becomes even more valuable as the materials of the book are meant more for displaying rather than reading purposes. We also have unbound portfolios, emphasizing the idiosyncrasy of the artwork and ease of manipulation while maintaining an evocative incorporation of Carroll’s text. The art does not control the text, nor does the text control the art. They work in tandem to attract existing audiences of Carroll and Dali separately, and also to create and foster a new audience that supports Carroll and Dali’s work together in Alice.
In terms of book history, this goes to show how text can be manipulated or hold different values depending on the materiality of the book or codex that houses it. And with Dali’s adaptation, Alice becomes even more valuable as the materials of the book are meant more for displaying rather than reading purposes. We also have unbound portfolios, emphasizing the idiosyncrasy of the artwork and ease of manipulation while maintaining an evocative incorporation of Carroll’s text. The art does not control the text, nor does the text control the art. They work in tandem to attract existing audiences of Carroll and Dali separately, and also to create and foster a new audience that supports Carroll and Dali’s work together in Alice.
Accessibility
It can be said that each chapter of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, separate and unbound as it is from preceding and succeeding chapters, is a work of art all on its own. Each respective section of the novel is joined by a Dali illustration, that can be described as a visual pleasure--exploding with “washes [of] color and bleeding lines” (Hiltz), accompanied whimsically with a mixture of hyper-realistic and dreamy figures. When it comes to a prized collection such as this one--made exclusive, for example, by its limited publications--the topic of accessibility (direct and indirect), particularly for readers, comes into question.
Amongst the 2,700 portfolios in existence, Wayne State University owns one within its own library system. In order to visit it, we were required to submit a form and arrange an appointment with a librarian, who retrieved the portfolio from the library’s vault and sat with us as we perused the pages. As a reader, we weren't able to “check the book out,” per se, but were granted an allotted time to interact with it. The additional, albeit relatively easy, process speaks to the value of the portfolio. But it is also reflective of the accessibility of such a valued work. On one hand, our experience of accessing the book was straightforward, once we knew how to navigate the library’s website in order to request an appointment. On the other hand, we were able to access it as students specifically (with school IDs), and also as library users who became aware of the appointment steps, which cannot be said for all students/readers. Furthermore, there was only an allotted time which was designated for our perusal, so this limited long term accessibility (i.e. direct contact), for example. What this says about the book’s accessibility is ultimately that it is limited, unless a reader has knowledge of specific accessibility methods or other ways to directly encounter the book.
But, indirect accessibility can come in the form of visiting websites (like the ones we have linked in our “Additional Resources” tab), reading Mark Burstein’s edited book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: 150th Anniversary Edition Illustrated by Salvador Dali, and navigating this website wherein we attempt to bridge the gap of accessibility, for readers, by providing a window into Carroll and Dali’s Alice--its content, materiality, history and impact.
Amongst the 2,700 portfolios in existence, Wayne State University owns one within its own library system. In order to visit it, we were required to submit a form and arrange an appointment with a librarian, who retrieved the portfolio from the library’s vault and sat with us as we perused the pages. As a reader, we weren't able to “check the book out,” per se, but were granted an allotted time to interact with it. The additional, albeit relatively easy, process speaks to the value of the portfolio. But it is also reflective of the accessibility of such a valued work. On one hand, our experience of accessing the book was straightforward, once we knew how to navigate the library’s website in order to request an appointment. On the other hand, we were able to access it as students specifically (with school IDs), and also as library users who became aware of the appointment steps, which cannot be said for all students/readers. Furthermore, there was only an allotted time which was designated for our perusal, so this limited long term accessibility (i.e. direct contact), for example. What this says about the book’s accessibility is ultimately that it is limited, unless a reader has knowledge of specific accessibility methods or other ways to directly encounter the book.
But, indirect accessibility can come in the form of visiting websites (like the ones we have linked in our “Additional Resources” tab), reading Mark Burstein’s edited book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: 150th Anniversary Edition Illustrated by Salvador Dali, and navigating this website wherein we attempt to bridge the gap of accessibility, for readers, by providing a window into Carroll and Dali’s Alice--its content, materiality, history and impact.