Explaining a riddle to a young girl - photo 1
Explaining a riddle to a young girl - photo 2
Explaining a riddle to a young girl - photo 3

Explaining a riddle to a young girl

Lot 134
16.10.2025 10:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Sold
$ 4 826
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
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The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 1472056
Lot 134 | Explaining a riddle to a young girl
Estimate value
$ 3 000 – 5 000
DODGSON, C.L. (1832–1898). Autograph letter signed ("Lewis Carroll"), Christ Church, Oxford, n.d., to "Kathleen." Tipped into: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. London: Macmillan and Co., 1869. [With:] Through the Looking-Glass. London: Macmillan and Co., 1872.

Fine letter from Lewis Carroll explaining one of his charades, or riddles, to "Kathleen," probably Kathleen Tidy. Kathleen Tidy was photographed by Carroll in 1858 and another letter to her survives from 1861 in which he gives her a pen-knife for her birthday. This letter begins, "I hope you're not very angry with me for having tricked you with 'sea-weed' as the answer to that Charade. Will the true answer pacify you? Walking Stick. It needs a little explanation..." The letter is tipped into a
sixth edition Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and accompanied by a first edition Through the Looking-Glass, in fine bindings by Bayntun. Alice’s title-page reads “Twelfth Thousand; Through the Looking-Glass has “wade” misprint in the Jabberwocky poem, but pp. 95 and 98’s are both paginated; “To All Child-Readers” bound in.

Three-page letter (conjoined leaves). Two volumes, octavo (177 × 117mm). Illustrations by John Tenniel (very light occasional spotting). Contemporary red crushed morocco by Bayntun, tooled in gold with motives from the stories on upper covers and in spine compartments, spine lettered in gold, edges gilt, marbled endleaves, original publisher’s cloth bound in, red cloth slipcase (spines slightly darkened).
Place of origin:England
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
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02.10.2025 – 16.10.2025
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
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