VALUABLE MANUSCRIPT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19917, 10 April 1928, Page 10

VALUABLE MANUSCRIPT.

ALICE IN WONDERLAND. ORIGINAL OF HEROINE SELLS. • LONDON, April 2. The original Alice for whom Lewis Carroll created the wonderful story of "Alice in Wonderland"—Mrs. Reginald Hargreaves, ag;ed and rather infirm—watched with breathless interest the stale at Sothebys of the manuscript which Lewis Carroll had presented to her after its publication. It consists of 92 pages, written in a neat imitation print, illustrated by 37 of Carroll's sketches, which Sir John Tenniel, the illustrator, used as prototypes for his drawings. Mrs. Hargreaves sat behind the auctioneer's rostrum, and was tearfully thrilled as the bids rose at the rate of £IOO a second, until Mr. Diing, representing Quaritch's, whom the British Museum had authorised to bid for them, reached his limit of £12,500. Dr. Rosenbach, the noted Philadelphia collector, then joined in, increasing the bids until he secured it at £15,400.

Mrs. Hargreaves says she is very pleased with the prico. She does not yet know what she will do with the money. She also sold for £ISOO a second edition of the book in which Carroll had inscribed her name.