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Auction PR Publicity Announcements News and Information

Lewis Carroll Photographs for Auction at Bonhams

Three photographs of Alexandra Rhoda “Xie” Kitchin, one of Lewis Carroll’s favourite models, are being auctioned at Bonhams Book sale on 8 June.

Alexandra was the daughter of the Dean of Durham who, for 15 years, also held a theological position at the University of Oxford where Carroll, a fellow of Christ Church, lectured in maths.

The three photos, captioned by Carroll himself, show Alexandra in Danish and Oriental costumes. A keen photographer, Carroll considered these to be among his best work. They were given to Alexandra by Carroll’s brother, William, when she got married together with a copy of a ‘The Life and Letters of Lewis Carroll’ in which two of the photographs are reproduced. It is significant, perhaps, that only these two photographs of ‘Xie’ and a couple of Alice Liddell, the model for Alice in Wonderland, were selected for the book. The photographs together with the inscribed copy of the book are estimated between £10,000 – 15,000.

Also in the sale is a copy of the first published edition of ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ (the first print run was run was not distributed because of a dispute over reproduction quality and ended up being sold in America). This copy is for sale at between £1,500 – 2,000)

For further sale information please go to www.bonhams.com/books