| White Rabbit Press | Sir John Tenniel |
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2 - Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (biography, by Edward Wakeling) 3 - Sir John Tenniel (biography, by Edward Wakeling) 4 - Alice Pleasance Liddell (biography, by Edward Wakeling) 5 - Emily Gertrude Thomson (biography, by Edward Wakeling)) 6 - "The Nursery 'Alice' Illustrations" (by Brian Sibley, courtesy The Lewis Carroll Society, UK)
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Biography by © © © John Tenniel (1820-1914) The famous Victorian artist and Punch cartoonist, John Tenniel, is remembered today as the illustrator of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1871). The books have been illustrated countless times but for many people the original drawings by Tenniel have never been surpassed. His images epitomise the characters in the books. Tenniel successfully captured the author’s intended vision. John Tenniel was born in Kensington, London, on 28 February 1820, the youngest son of John Baptist Tenniel, of Huguenot lineage. He was a skilful artist from an early age, and later studied at the Royal Academy Schools, but became dissatisfied with the teaching there, and decided to follow a more independent line. He left for the Clipstone Street Art Society where he met his lifelong friend, Charles Keene. They jointly produced an early work entitled "Book of Beauty," a series of humorous sketches which were exhibited and subsequently sold. At the age of sixteen, he exhibited some of his early works in oils at the Suffolk Street Galleries in London. For a period of five years from the age of seventeen, he was a contributor to exhibitions at the Royal Academy. At the age of twenty he was accidentally blinded in one eye as a result of a fencing match with his father. He submitted a cartoon entitled "The Spirit of Justice" for a competition aimed at attracting artists to decorate the new Houses of Parliament, but his work was not accepted. However, in 1845 he was commissioned to paint a fresco for the House of Lords. He spent a short time in Munich to study the art of fresco in preparation for his mural painting in the House titled, "Saint Cecilia." Realising that paintings in oils were unlikely to bring him either fame or fortune, he decided to turn his hand to book illustration. His earliest recorded illustrations appeared in Hall’s Book of British Ballads dated 1842. He was sole illustrator for La Motte-Fouqué’s Undine in 1845. His series of black and white drawings for an edition of Aesop’s Fables were published by John Murray in 1848. His skill at drawing animals and men in dramatic situations caught the eye of Mark Lemon, editor of Punch, a magazine then in the early stages of establishing itself as a popular Victorian weekly specialising in satire and humour. Richard Doyle, one of the key artists associated with the magazine resigned in 1850 leaving a vacancy which, on the suggestion of Douglas Jerrold, was filled by Tenniel. Thus began a lifelong position at the Punch Office culminating in Tenniel becoming the foremost illustrator of its pages. Tenniel married in 1852, but sadly his wife died two years later; there were no children. He professed to have no political opinions but followed the leanings of his employers. He also declared that he never used models when drawing the figure. Everything he observed became a source for illustration, invariably drawing from memory. Apart from his work for Punch, book and magazine illustration continued for a time. In 1859 he became a regular contributor to Once a Week and this continued until his last illustrations in that publication for Shirley Brooks’ story "The Silver Cord." He considered his drawings for another of Brooks’ novels, The Gordian Knot (1860), his worst performance as an illustrator. In 1861 he illustrated an edition of Thomas Moore’s Lalla Rookh, which he considered his best book illustrations. In 1864 he contributed to the illustrations in R. H. Barham’s The Ingoldsby Legends. He contributed to an edition of The Arabian Nights produced by the Dalziel brothers between 1863 and 1865. Then came his commission to illustrate for Dodgson. Dodgson’s first intention was to publish Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland with his own illustrations. He was encouraged to publish his manuscript by various friends. He records on 9 May 1863: "Heard from Mrs. MacDonald about ‘Alice’s Adventures Under Ground,’ which I had lent them to read, and which they wish me to publish." There was no further mention of this proposal for two months, but in that time the decision was made and Dodgson embarked on the process of arranging for the book to be published at the Clarendon Press (Oxford University Press). Early in July, Dodgson received some trial pages for the Alice book, printed at the Press. On July 16 Dodgson wrote: "Called on Mr. Combe with my first drawing on wood. Mr. Woolner was there, just beginning a bust of Mr. Combe – he looked at the drawing (a half length of the heroine) and condemned the arms, which he says I must draw from the life." The evidence is clear; Dodgson was copying his manuscript drawings directly onto boxwood for engraving so that these could be used in the published version of the book. His meeting with Thomas Woolner, one of the original members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a poet and sculptor, shook Dodgson’s confidence in his own ability to produce illustrations of sufficient quality. However, Dodgson was not completely convinced at this stage and proceeded with his original plan. On July 20 he travelled to London and "called on Mr. [Thomas Orlando Sheldon] Jewitt, in Camden Town, who is to do the wood-cutting for my book, and got some hints on the subject: he is going to cut the block I have drawn, improving on it a little." There was a note of dissatisfaction in Dodgson’s comment on his own work, but he hoped that the engraver might make amends for his lack of draughtsmanship. Dodgson met Alexander Macmillan for the first time on 19 October 1863, on a visit to see Mr. Combe. There is no indication that the Alice book was discussed at this time. Later in the year, Dodgson made the decision to find a professional illustrator for his book. Dodgson’s choice of illustrator was John Tenniel. As an avid reader of Punch, Dodgson knew and admired Tenniel’s work and often cut out and kept copies of his drawings, particularly any with Shakespearean references. He used Tom Taylor, a contributor to Punch and later one of its editors, as intermediary, and on 25 January 1864, Dodgson wrote: "He also gave me a note of introduction to Mr. Tenniel (to whom he had before applied, for me, about pictures for Alice’s Adventures).... Then at Mr. Tenniel’s, whom I found at home: he was very friendly, and seemed to think favourably of undertaking the pictures, but must see the book before deciding." The text Tenniel saw before making his decision was probably the manuscript of Under Ground. There is strong evidence that Dodgson had the manuscript set in type at the University Press. There is no doubt that Tenniel saw Dodgson’s original drawings. In fact there is a strong correlation between Dodgson’s own illustrations and those prepared by Tenniel for the published edition; over 70% of Tenniel’s illustrations for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland are based on Dodgson’s drawings in Under Ground. From this moment on, we can be sure that correspondence began in earnest between the two men, yet, sadly, all the letters from Dodgson to Tenniel about the book are missing. In the meantime, work continued on the preparation of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland but the pace was slow. A month later, on 12 October 1864, Dodgson wrote: "Called on Macmillan, and had some talk about the book, but settled little.... Thence I went to Tenniel’s, who showed me one drawing on wood, the only thing he had – of Alice sitting by the pool of tears, and the rabbit hurrying away. We discussed the book, and agreed on about 34 pictures." The picture that Tenniel showed Dodgson was probably the first completed illustration containing an image of Alice. However, it is not Tenniel’s first published image of Alice. In his illustrated title page for the bound volume of Punch, number 46, January to June 1864, Tenniel drew a prototype for Alice seen with the garlanded British Lion. Tenniel sent Dodgson the first twelve proofs for illustrations on 16 December 1864, the day after Dodgson sent Macmillan the whole of the book in slip. Dodgson went to see Macmillan about the book on 21 December. Optimistically, they agree that binding should begin about the middle of March so that the book could be published on 1 April 1865. Tenniel was still taking his time with the illustrations. A further meeting between the two men occurred on 26 January 1865, but Dodgson did not record any progress with the illustrations. However, around this time a plan for the complete set of forty-two illustrations proposed for the book was made and a copy, in Dodgson’s hand survives. This indicated the size and position of each illustration within the twelve chapters. On 26 May 1865, Dodgson received a specimen copy bound in red cloth, blank all but the first page, of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Dodgson received the last three proof copies of Tenniel’s illustrations on 18 June. Two days later, he sent the final marked-up sections of the text to the Press. Macmillan received copies from the Press on 27 June, and Dodgson immediately wrote asking that a copy be sent from London to Oxford so that he could present it to Alice Liddell on the anniversary of the tale being told on 4 July. Dodgson visited Macmillan to talk about the book on 7 July 1865. A week later, on 15 July, Dodgson was at the offices of Macmillan where he "wrote in twenty or more copies of Alice to go as presents to various friends." This probably included a presentation copy for John Tenniel. On receipt of his copy, Tenniel wrote back to Dodgson. This letter is missing, but in essence he did not approve of the printing of his illustrations in the book. Dodgson wrote on 20 July: "Called on Macmillan, and showed him Tenniel’s letter about the fairy-tale – he is entirely dissatisfied with the printing of the pictures, and I suppose we shall have to do it all again." Dodgson decided on a re-print of Alice on 2 August 1865. The first published edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was issued at the end of 1865, but all copies are dated 1866 on the title page. In a letter to Alexander Macmillan dated 24 August 1866, Dodgson mentioned a "floating idea of writing a sort of sequel to Alice." With nothing more than a brief outline in his mind, Dodgson set about securing the services of an illustrator; this became his usual practice for all future illustrated publications. Obviously, Tenniel was his best choice. At least this would give some continuity in the illustrations, particularly as the new book included a significant number of the same characters, not least Alice herself. But Tenniel declined in the first instance, claiming pressures of work. In desperation, Dodgson tried other well-known illustrators of his day, without success. However, later in June 1868, Tenniel finally agreed to do the pictures, "at such spare times as he can find." Dodgson completed the first chapter of Looking-Glass and sent it to Macmillan on 12 January 1869 to be set up in type. He went to see Tenniel in April but he recorded that no illustrations had yet been drawn for Looking-Glass. Nine months later, on a further visit to Tenniel in January 1870, Dodgson records that he saw the rough sketches of about ten pictures for Looking-Glass. The only outcome of these preliminary meetings and correspondence is an illustration plan for the book, which is in Dodgson’s hand. The plan shows that there were originally thirty-eight numbered illustrations, together with the "Jabberwock" proposed as the frontispiece, and the plan included the "Wasp" chapter that Tenniel suggested would be worthwhile removing from the book in order to reduce the overall length (the chapter was suppressed). During April 1870, Macmillan sent Dodgson some trial title pages for consideration. The title then assigned to the book was Behind the Looking-Glass and what Alice saw there. Another title considered was Looking-Glass World. These early title pages indicate Dodgson’s intention of having forty-two illustrations drawn by Tenniel to match the number of illustrations in Alice’s Adventures. During the first six months of 1870, Tenniel’s progress with the illustrations was typically slow. On 25 April 1871, Dodgson wrote: "Through the Looking-Glass yet lingers on, though the text is ready, but I have only received twenty-seven pictures as yet." On 4 May, Dodgson wrote: "I heard from Tenniel the other day, the welcome news that he hopes to have all the pictures done by the end of July at latest," but in August the delay was still evident. Dodgson noted: "Wrote to Tenniel, accepting the melancholy, but un-alterable fact, that we cannot get Through the Looking-Glass out by Michaelmas. After all, it must come out as a Christmas book." The book commenced printing in October 1871 confirming that Dodgson had received all the illustrations from Tenniel by this time. Dodgson received five proof sheets on 1 November 1871. On 21 November he noted: "Sent authority to Clay to electrotype all the rest of the Looking-Glass: this was by telegraph. I afterwards sent two corrections by post. So ends my part of the work. It now depends on the printers and binders whether we get it out by Christmas." Dodgson received the first complete copy of Looking-Glass in early December 1871. Dodgson kept in touch with Tenniel long after the two men had ceased to work together as author and illustrator of the Alice books. Letters that passed between them were courteous and friendly. There is no doubt that Dodgson admired the work of his illustrator, and he frequently uses him as a benchmark for his later illustrators. Dodgson also sent copies of his main published works to Tenniel, always inscribed in a respectful and friendly manner. After Looking-Glass, Tenniel almost entirely gave up book illustration. He was exceedingly busy with his work for Punch. He was created chief artist in 1864 following the death of John Leech, and he began to produce the "big-cut," a full-page cartoon, each week. Tenniel did, however, accept another commission from Dodgson. In 1881, he agreed to prepare the illustrations for The Nursery "Alice". This was Dodgson’s version of the original book re-written for younger children with twenty coloured enlargements from Tenniel’s illustrations. In a letter to Macmillan, he wrote: "Mr. Tenniel is going to make some changes in the figure of ‘Alice’…. Please…take great care of that coloured frontispiece: I want to have it fastened into the book again, as a unique specimen of colouring done by the artist himself…. Also please send Mr. Tenniel an Alice in sheets, that he may mark his alterations and cut the pictures out one by one. It seems a pity to spoil a bound copy for this purpose." However, the pictures are different in many ways, and it is clear that some sections were re-drawn. For example, the frontispiece has a guard who was "the three of clubs" in the original book, but he became "the three of hearts" in the new book. Alice’s costume is totally different in style; her dress is pleated and her apron now has a large bow at the back, and her hair contains another small bow. The dress is coloured yellow and the bows are blue. The drawing of Alice with the drink-me bottle was re-drawn (The Nursery "Alice", p. 5), so too was Alice with the long neck (ibid., p. 8). Other illustrations were modified to take account of Alice’s changed appearance. The mark of the engravers, the Dalziel brothers, was removed from all the illustrations. In the picture of the Caterpillar, part of the background is missing to the left of Alice’s head (ibid., p. 26). In the picture of the Gardeners painting the roses red, drips of paint have appeared which were not in the original illustration (ibid., p. 42). The feet of the flamingo under Alice’s arms in the picture with the Duchess (ibid., p. 46) give clear indication that these illustrations were re-drawn rather than simply enlarged from the original drawings. There are many changes to the pictures only possible by re-drawing. They were very carefully copied, and much of the detail and composition was retained. When the pages of The Nursery "Alice" were finally printed, Dodgson was not satisfied with the colouring of the illustrations. He wrote to Macmillan on 23 June 1889: "The pictures are far too bright and gaudy, and vulgarise the whole thing." Tenniel was quiet on the subject. There was no remonstration as with the 1865 Alice, but Dodgson’s quick action may have pre-empted a move by the illustrator. The book with less bright and gaudy coloured illustrations finally appeared in 1890. The offending sheets were offered to America and 4,000 copies were bound and sold there. Eventually, the remaining 6,000 copies were bound up and sold as "The People’s Edition." Tenniel continued to smoke his churchwarden pipe at the weekly Punch dinners, and drew the "big cut" most weeks covering all the main historical occasions for nearly forty years. Only once did he venture on a holiday abroad to Venice. In 1893, Tenniel was knighted in recognition of his distinguished career at Punch. Sir John Tenniel retired from his post in 1901 after nearly a half-century of service to Punch and well over two thousand cartoons to his credit. For his remaining years, he lived quietly at his Kensington home with his sister, gradually losing his sight. He died on 25 February 1914. {For a more detailed paper on John Tenniel, see www.lewiscarroll-site.com} © Edward Wakeling: March 2008 For further reading on Sir John Tenniel: ©The Illustrations of Sir John Tenniel ©Lewis Carroll and His Illustrators ©Tenniel's Illustrations - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass |
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