Lewis Carroll
1 portrait of Lewis Carroll
© National Portrait Gallery, London
Lewis Carroll
by Lewis Carroll
albumen print, 2 June 1857
5 1/2 in. x 4 5/8 in. (140 mm x 117 mm)
Purchased with help from Kodak Ltd, 1973
Primary Collection
NPG P7(26)
Sitterback to top
- Lewis Carroll (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) (1832-1898), Photographer and author of 'Alice in Wonderland'. Sitter in 9 portraits, Artist or producer associated with 62 portraits.
Artistback to top
- Lewis Carroll (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) (1832-1898), Photographer and author of 'Alice in Wonderland'. Artist or producer associated with 62 portraits, Sitter in 9 portraits.
This portraitback to top
From an album of photographs of Oxford contemporaries. This photograph was, perhaps, taken by Reginald Southey, a fellow Student at Christ Church who encouraged Carroll's early interest in photography.
Linked publicationsback to top
- Victorian Portraits Resource Pack, p. 32
- 100 Writers, p. 65
- Funnell, Peter, Victorian Portraits in the National Portrait Gallery Collection, 1996, p. 32
- Funnell, Peter (introduction); Marsh, Jan, A Guide to Victorian and Edwardian Portraits, 2011, p. 41 Read entry
Charles Dodgson (1832-98), better known as Lewis Carroll, was a mathematics tutor at Christ Church, Oxford. This photograph, dated 2 June 1857, is generally assumed to be a self-portrait, although it may have been taken by Reginald Southey, a fellow student who encouraged Dodgson’s early interest in photography. Although always fascinated by its techniques, Dodgson saw photography primarily as a means of expressing himself artistically and often signed his prints ‘from the Artist’.
- Prodger, Phillip, Victorian Giants, The Birth of Art Photography, 2018 (accompanying the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from 1 March - 20 May 2018), p. 70
- Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004, p. 107
- Various contributors, National Portrait Gallery: A Portrait of Britain, 2014, p. 164
Events of 1857back to top
Current affairs
Palmerston passes the Matrimonial Causes Act in the face of parliamentary opposition. The act establishes divorce courts, although women, unlike men, are not allowed to sue for divorce on the grounds of adultery.The Manchester Art Treasures Exhibition is held, a follow-up to the Great Exhibition of 1851, although highlighting Britain's private art collections rather than industry and technology. More than 1.3 million people visit the event.
Art and science
Elizabeth Gaskell publishes The Life of Charlotte Brontë, a year after the author's death. The controversial biography consolidates the myth of the Brontë sisters as isolated geniuses living in remote Yorkshire.Illustrator George Scharf becomes the first Secretary of the National Portrait Gallery, overseeing the collection's growth and its several moves around London before a permanent home is established in 1896, the year after Scharf's death.
International
The Indian Revolt was a significant rebellion against the rule of the East Indian Company and a culmination of decades of discontent about British rule. After a year of horrific violence on both sides, the revolt was suppressed. It led to a more involved role by the British government in India, taking over responsibility from the East India Company.Comments back to top
We are currently unable to accept new comments, but any past comments are available to read below.
If you need information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service . Please note that we cannot provide valuations. You can buy a print or greeting card of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at around £6 for unframed prints, £16 for framed prints. If you wish to license an image, select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Use this image button, or contact our Rights and Images service. We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.