LEWIS CARROLL "ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND" PIRATED EDITION 1940-50s

Published by Unknown, 1940-50’s

Although this beloved literary and children's classic needs no introduction, down the rabbit hole we go in regards to its publication history up to this knockoff. 

Printing for Charles Dodgson’s (also known as Lewis Carroll) “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” began in London July 1865, with the initial 2,000 copies printed by the Clarendon Press Oxford to be bound. Production was halted before all 2,000 could be bound, with only about 50 being completed. The reason was the illustrator John Tenniel was dissatisfied with the quality of the printing. The roughly 50 copies that got bound with a date of 1865 are known as Unauthorized Editions and it is believed that only 23 or so have survived since. Towards the end of 1865, just in time for Christmas, a few thousand copies of the authorized versions were published by Macmillan and Co and printed by a new printer R.Clay, Son and Taylor, with the title page showing a 1866 date. The earliest copies have pale blue endpapers (later in dark green) and the letter “s” on the last line of the contents inverted. 

The remaining sheets that were not bound got sold to an American publisher called Appleton in 1866 and were published in May of that year. Those 1,950 or so copies are known as the Appleton Alice or First American Edition.

This copy is an unauthorized reproduction (also known as a pirated edition) of the 1866 authorized edition from London. This is not surprising for what is considered one of the most popular books ever, because pirating books in America from foreign authors was a common practice before stronger international copyright laws were put in place. Whoever made this went to great lengths to make it identical to the original, including the light blue endpapers and the gold gilt designs on the title and spine. Although they missed the back cover design of the original. There is no copyright info, no publisher's name, and the printer's seal in the beginning and name on back is from the authorized version. This book is definitely not from 19th century, however there are a few tells that it was made sometime between the 1940’s and 50’s;

• The materials used are indicative of post World War II. 

• In the 1940s and 1950s, pirating books in America was still a common practice and more practical due to the advancement of printing technology. 

• The home library from which this was acquired from belonged to a retired university professor, with most books in the library dated from 1930’s to 1950’s

Format: Cloth Hardcover 

Condition:  Exceptional. - Shows wear with flaws, but otherwise in very good condition.