TOP 10 Illustrated Alice in Wonderlands - An Antique Books Guide

Alice in Wonderland is a book collector's dream - a world-famous story that is loved by young and old alike and has seen more than 100 different translations during a lengthy publishing history that runs since 1865 and has never ceased production. This means that there are hundreds if not thousands of different editions out there, with many of the world's best illustrators working on artwork for this fun and nostalgic tale.

How do you know which one to choose, I hear you ask. Well, luckily I've collected the very best of the best below for your perusal, featuring names such as Arthur Rackham and Harry Rountree to name a few. Happy reading!

No.1: Charles Robinson - 1907

The creme de la creme has to be Charles Robinson's fabled Alice in Wonderland, first printed way back in 1907. With beautiful blue and gold covers, this is a very attractive edition. Inside, Robinson shows his talents through a huge number of stunning illustrations. The colour plates are pretty but the black and white line drawings are the reason that this copy is number one.

No.2: Harry Rountree - c1908

Close second comes the Harry Rountree edition, dating from a period period. This edition features the more natural, traditional watercolour illustrations that Rountree was famous for along with beautiful covers if you buy a first edition. Best known for his work illustrating many of Enid Blyton's books, Harry Rountree is an almost perfect match for this fun and charming children's story.

No. 3:  John Tenniel - 1911/ 1884

Tenniel is best known for being the original Alice illustrator thanks to his work with the very first edition. Many later editions also used his drawings including copies published in present times. The 1911 edition comes with colour illustrations too but earlier editions from the 1860's are worth the most. Iconic illustration at its best.

No 4: Arthur Rackham 1907

If there's one illustrator you need to know about it's Arthur Rackham, Known for illustrating all sorts of fairy stories and children's book, Rackham was a pro artist and created a haunting, mature take on Alice with his 1907 edition. Highly collected in today's times, the quality and effort seen in this edition is rarely witnessed for a children's book.

No. 5: Gwynedd M. Hudson c1920

Perhaps the most fitting edition of Alice in Wonderland is Ms Hudson's amazing fashion-conscious work, complete with fun vintage-styled drawings and bold bi-colour designs. The designs used for Alice's clothing could well be considered in style today and the numerous throw-back illustrations match almost perfectly with the story.

6: Margaret W. Tarrant - c1916

Margaret Tarrant is a big name in children's book illustration, having worked on many famous fairy tales and novels. Her style is charming and colourful, ideally suiting a story like Alice in Wonderland. From the Art Deco covers to the wonderful classic illustrations, this is a very well-suited match between story teller and artist.

7. W.H Walker - c1928

This is one of the more popular editions but the first edition with beautiful covers is actually rather rare. This version features plenty of black and white drawings as well as lightly-shaded colour illustrations that are at once atmosphereic and old fashioned too. It makes for a great read, mainly because the style fits so well with this children's story.

8: Charles Folkard - c1921

This classic edition is often overlooked. And yet it only features one colour illustration. But the beautiful Art-Deco covers and numerous black and white illustrations more than make up for it. Not to mention the fact that Folkard is a renowned illustrator and his colour frontispiece makes this edition a classic.

9: Frank Adams - c1912

This scarce edition comes with several different covers, all of which are striking. Adams' illustrations are bright, colourful and completely suited to the fun story line, making this one of the most readable editions around.It's small, pretty and a must have.

10: Blanche McManus - c1910

This edition is rare, very Art Deco and distinctly monochrome. There are no colour illustrations in this copy, but Blanche McManus does lend her incredible talent with line drawing to the story, providing numerous Oriental-inspired drawings that give the book a more grown-up feel. A scarce edition that is often overlooked.

 And there we have it - the very best illustrated editions of one of the world's best loved books. Which ones do you have? Or want? Feel free to comment and share, and as ever thanks for reading!

The Antique Peter Pan Guide - An Antique Books Guide

Peter Pan is one of the most renowned children's story, telling the tale of a boy who never grows up and spends his time exploring the island of Neverland with his band of Lost Boys. It is also one of the most collectable antique children's books, having spawned many different editions, illustrated by some of the finest illustrators around, from Mabel Lucie Attwell to Arthur Rackham.

Below is a collection of the very finest.

1. Arthur Rackham - First Edition 1906

Value - £250 plus for the 1906 first edition and as low as £100 for a worse condition 1907 or 1908 edition

Positive - A luxurious, high quality edition that showcased some of Rackham's finest work

Negative - All plates except for the frontispiece were printed on grey card at the back of the book so don't really flow with the reading experience

This is the edition to own if you are seeking a truly iconic edition. Being the first edition illustrated by renowned Golden Age illustrator Arthur Rackham is impressive enough but with fifty plates of illustrations and a remarkable presentation quality, this lovely book is a perfect example of why children's books are so collected. 

 A vellum deluxe edition was also published in this form, for those with an extensive budget.

2. Arthur Rackham 'Best' Edition 1912
Value - From £300 for a top quality edition to £100 for a poor quality edition                                                                Positive- Features all the original plates interspersed throughout unlike the first Rackham edition for a better reading experience and covers are more decorative                  Negative - Front/ endpapers do not feature the iconic map plus not classed as 'the original edition'.                                                                                                                                       This lovely 'new' edition is actually larger and preferred by some collectors over the first edition. With the same plates and presentation values but only one year of publication, this version features the illustrations spread throughout the book for a better reading experience.                                                 A slightly rarer edition which again is available in a deluxe edition for the discerning collector

Arthur Rackham c1912 edition
Value - Up to £200 in some cases but usually between £50 and £100 condition dependent

Positive - A more compact edition that still features 24 different Rackham plates and the map front/ endpapers

Negative - Later and smaller than the original with less than half the plates

Here is a slightly cheaper edition, usually placed at circa 1912. With a high-quality presentation but on a slightly smaller scale, this lovely edition is a tad more affordable. With only half the original illustrations, this is a more compact Rackham edition and can be obtained with red covers in smaller form still.

F.D Bedford First Edition - c1911

Value - From £100 for a later impression and up to £250 for a first impression

Positive- Beautiful gilt covers look great on a bookshelf plus illustrations are more intricate and less mainstream than Rackham's.
Negative - Smaller than Rackham's editions and with less illustrations  
                                                                                        Telling the story of Peter Pan when he meets Wendy, this edition is nearly as collectable as Rackhams. Known for the beautiful F.D Bedford plates which are monochrome and feature immense detail and charm, this edition is beautiful from cover to cover. The first edition features no date and a black/ white frontispiece whilst later impressions (as far as fourth) display the publishing date and can feature a colour frontispiece.

F.D Bedford Colour Frontis edition c1920
Value - Between £60 and £120 although obscure so few sales to base figures upon                                                                 Positive - Simpler in design and comes with the incredibly rare colour frontispiece illustration                                           Negatives - Less ornate and attractive than the first edition  

This rare edition is very obscure and is perhaps rarer than the F.D Bedford first edition. Despite this it is considerably less valuable and less sought after. I consider this one a hidden gem however, for the covers may appear simple and plain compared to the first edition but the inside more than makes up for it. Featuring all the same illustrations as the original, this edition also features the incredibly rare colour plate frontispiece printed on grey card and considerably valuable. 

Alice B Woodward & Daniel O'Connor 1907 Deluxe 

Value - c£400                                                             Positive - Very rare being limited to just 250 copies. Also one of the earliest early illustrated editions.               Negatives -This edition isn't strictly Peter Pan and, whilst the illustrations are beautiful they hardly push boundaries. Also virtually impossible to buy.

This extremely rare edition was limited and numbered to just 250 copies, making it perhaps the rarest Peter Pan listed in this post. The Deluxe edition predates the later editions by quite some time, making it very collectable. The charming and traditional illustrations match the narrative beautifully.   

Of all the editions the Rackham first is most sought after but many admire the F.D Bedford editions for their understated beauty and ornate patterning.

Whether you prefer Rackham or Bedford, or maybe the Mable Lucie Attwell edition, one thing is certain: this is one of the best illustrated children's books and a real key book for collectors, fans of literature and illustration or those wanting a trip down Memory Lane.

 Thank you for reading and please +1, share and comment if you have the time!