How Pleasant to know Mr Lear's work!

Dearest Emily,

It is interesting how, when you are all-about studying something, how some strands of research just ferment away all by themselves- until something new pops up- and it brings all the other strands in to line. This happened today.

In the year I've been dedicating my study to matters Dodgson, even with reading widely, and finding stuff out I never knew before about the 'Alice' books- I still couldn't get a proper handle on him. I couldn't 'feel' who he was exactly and what made him tick. I was beginning to think that this was either par for the course when you are researching ( I've recently been focussing on Florence Becker Lennon's Biography, and she kind of says that at the beginning. ) She says it's like peeling off the layers of an onion, only to find more layers. Which is how I've felt up until this morning...

It began yesterday at the Bookroom. For months I've been picking up a particular book, and not knowing why it held my interest. So, I'd put it back, get on with what I was about, and forget about it- only to return and repeat the process. Then, again whilst preparing the biographies for Dimbola's 'Alice-The Illustrators' exhibition, I came across the book of my fascination and things started to get interesting.
The book is called 'The King of the Golden River' and it's by good old Ruskin ( the one Dodgson was all-jealous-nuts about- who told him he was wasting his time trying to illustrate his own 'Alice'. )

Now we also know, that Dodgson's nose was out of joint with Ruskin because he not only taught the Liddell's to draw, but they invited him round for tea regularly as their friend. Dodgson turned him into the Gryphon as we know- for his sins.

Well Emily, Ruskin's book has the accolade of being the first English Children's Fairy Story- and it came out in 1846.

1846 was also the year that Edward Lear's 'Book of Nonsense' came out.

We also know that Lear was quite a Character- he sang at Salon gatherings in London, he was popular, 

arty and Lord Derby's missive of Grandchildren adored him, The Book of Nonsense was an immediate success. As we've also pondered, Dodgson and Lear are highly likely to have met, and GiGi thinks he's Humpty Dumpty's muse. Yet curiously neither Lear or Dodgson ever mention the existence of the other in any correspondences or diaries...

CLD was fourteen when these two books came out- a time when unhappy away at school- he wrote several correspondences to his sister reviewing countless current affairs and commenting his own opinions on them. Then, before he went up to Oxford, he retreated into the bosom of his family- and diary entries are missing.

Fast-forward to when he was illustrating the original MS for 'Alice' and we see a rather similar style...

Between the years that these two books came out- and the writing of his own Fairy Story- Dodgson had made puppet theatres for his siblings and regularly visited shows ( loving the whole back-stage vibe, and making friends with the Terry family, particularly Ellen ) and told creature-verses to his cousins in Whitby, and generally let everyone know that he knew lots about the Arts and what was on at the time.

Personally Em, I've finally got to where I feel I know what drove him and made him tick. This prim, stuffy Oxford Don, who showed very little interest in teaching his students was actually a frustrated 'Bohemian', and not being noticed or accepted by those he wished to be like- he transferred his Artistic temperament quite simply to the audience who were most willing to participate- little girls. They were entranced by his imagination- his tales, his drawings, his dressing up box, his travelling garb of Top-Hat, black-bag full of toys and clever little tricks. No-one else was. Oxford so did not get him at all.

So when he got chance to publish 'Alice' out came his Edward-Lear-ness in his illustrations- only to have them knocked- fairly and squarely by Ruskin. And so. he employed Tenniel to illustrate instead.

How easily bruised was our aesthete, how full of envy and strife. Instead of releasing the creative prowess he'd showered on siblings and cousins with magic tricks, inventions, tales and rhyme- along-side an acute thirst for the Literary and Theatrical 'new-releases', he'd trodden his Father's chosen path for him- and ended up teaching Maths at Oxford and taken Holy Orders, which caused him angst regarding going to the Theatre.

Poor old Dodgson, he must have trodden a lonely-path. Quintessentially Oxford in word, thought and deed, he actually didn't want to be. A freer spirit was hidden within- but one that could only find release  through watching others, and telling them fantastical tales- ones in which he added social comment, parodied those who had spurned him, and pulled it all together into a simple 'Fairy Story', a very topical theme.

Yet Lewis Carroll's have stood the test of time- never been out of print, and have permeated the English Language.

Posterity gets food from all this work- I'd like to think Dodgson's soul does too!

Until next time Emily,

Your ever-loving Grand-Mother, GiGi xxx

A Little 'Tritease' on Perception and Rivalry...

BROTHER AND SISTER

"Sister, sister, go to bed!

Go and rest your weary head."

Thus the prudent Brother said.

Do you want a battered hide,

Or scratches to your face applied?"

Thus his sister calm repled.

"Sister do not raise my wrath.

I'll make you into mutton broth

As easily as kill a moth!"

The sister raised her beaming eye
And looked on him indignantly
And sternly answered, “Only try!”
Off to the cook he quickly ran.
“Dear Cook, please lend a frying-pan
To me as quickly as you
can.”
“And wherefore should I lend it you?”
“The reason, Cook, is plain
to view.
I wish to make an Irish stew.”
“What meat is in that stew to go?”
“My sister’ll be the contents!”
“Oh!”
“You’ll lend the pan to me, Cook?”
“No!”
Moral: Never stew your sister.

Charles L. Dodgson 1845

Dearest Emily,

The sun was at long last shining today, as I opened up the Bookroom, and putting a flier up in the window for our 'Alice' exhibition at Dimbola it amused me to see that the flier was directly in front of a shelf containing all the volumes of Ruskin's 'Modern Painters'.

Considering that our studies here in this blog have revealed how Dodgson felt a rivalry towards Ruskin that culminated in the mockery of him in Carrollian Alice-Malice stylee, I wondered how either might have felt about rubbing shoulders in a bookshop, one and a half centuries later.

Hopefully, they would feel a mutual pride in their legacies- both Literal ( Ruskins 'Truth to Nature' was fast acclaimed as an artistic standard, and Carroll's 'Alice' within a period of twenty years of publication became next to the Bible and Shakespeare the most quoted book in our language ) - and financial- both parties were incredibly benevolent- Ruskin to his causes and Dodgson to his descendents.

As we continue this train of thought Emily, I am filled with Grand-motherly joy about the news that you are soon to have a new brother or sister.

After congratulating your Daddy and Mummy, I said "Uh-oh, I don't suppose Miss Emily will take too kindly to having to share the limelight though", which from what I know of you so far, my little one- I don't suppose that to begin with, you will.

But you'll soon learn and adapt and grow in character and know of all the joys and tribulations that having a sibling can bring. Lucky you Em.

Your Daddy and Uncle Ed have always been very close.

Though five years apart- from the day that Daddy laid eyes on his new little brother, he treated him as though given a present. One that he needed to look out for and protect.

He has also fought with him, yelled at him, and nit-picked and berated most of the thoughts that came out as words from his head. There was quite a bit of sibling rivalry along the way too, I even bought books on the subject to try and parent it properly.

Daddy was in awe of Ed's acting prowess and success, and Ed was envious of Daddy's ability to succeed in the Corporate world.

'Twas ever thus Emily, all over the planet, throughout history.

Some of that rivalry is nonsense- and yet helps to shape our own characters and what we do in life.

Take our Ruskin and Dodgson for example. Not siblings of course, but the rivalry was certainly perceived by Dodgson- and his envy of Ruskin's relationship with the Liddells ( he was their Drawing-Master ) and Ruskin's advice to him that attempts to self-illustrate 'Alice' "were a waste of time", culminated in his being turned into the 'Gryphon' and became an immortal part of the eponymous tales.

Who knows what becomes of that which we do during our lifetimes Emily?

I told Daddy that I had better start writing another book soon, as otherwise you would have one, and your brother or sister would not.

But it also strikes me that I've somewhat spoiled your own perceptions of the 'Alice' stories, before you have had a chance to get embroiled in them- so, I'm wondering what Granny- GiGi can now spoil for your sibling's literary childhood...

Ah well Emily, it's all about perception really, isn't it.

I shall end tonight with the advice I gave to your Daddy and Eddie- "Never let the sun go down on an argument between you". They haven't, but they mess up in other ways just the same!

Plus ca change, plus que c'est la meme chose, ma petite...

Your ever-loving Grand-mother GiGi xxxx