On a recent visit to The British Library I had the pleasure of seeing the fantastic Alice in Wonderland exhibition to mark it's 150th anniversary.
The great author Charles Dodgson famously known as Lewis Carroll, told the epic fairytale to little girl Alice Liddell on a Summer's day and enchanted her with the whimsical story and all the fantastical characters in it. Alice loved it and was so taken with it which then followed with Lewis Carrol gifting her the manuscript and calling it "Alice's Adventures Underground".
The very first experience I had with the Alice in Wonderland story I remember, was watching the classic Disney movie as a little girl on a Summer family holiday in Greece. I was so taken aback with this magical and imaginative story, I would often wish and imagine little doors appearing so I could enter Wonderland when no-one else was watching, or excited at the prospect I may grow or shrink after eating a cookie or drinking from a little bottle! After seeing this exhibition my fascination and obsession will certainly continue to grow.
The exhibition lets you travel through all the stages from when Lewis Carrol first told the enchanting story to Alice, to showing the public several publications from over the years.
Beautiful visuals and art pieces from a selection of illustrators including Mervyn Peake, Ralph Steadman, Leonard Weisgard, Arthur Rackham, Salvador Dali and others are also displayed for you to enjoy.
Seeing the original manuscript handwritten by Lewis Carroll's himself was so inspiring and a lovely privilege for any fan to see. A selection of collected memorabilia was also displayed for you to enjoy. I loved the blue tea can Tetley made to a sweet tiny little calendar!
The British Library have quoted "Although the story has been adapted, appropriated, re-imagined and re-illustrated since its conception, we are still enchanted by Carroll’s original, much loved story, which continues to inspire new generations of writers and illustrators." I believe this story is one that will forever work our imaginations and enable us to escape into all the possibilities "Wonderland" has to offer
The exhibition sadly ends on 17th April 2016 so if you have a chance to visit beforehand it's an absolute must!
You can take a look at my own creations inspired by Alice in Wonderland available to buy for a limited period only
Mia Lia x
- See more at: http://www.bl.uk/events/alice-in-wonderland-exhibition#sthash.TASWp476.dpuf