The story was born from a journey Carroll took with the three daughters of his close friends. As he rowed them down the river in Oxford he began to make up stories of their expedition and named it 'Alice's Adventures Underground' in his diary later that day - Alice Liddell being the name of one of the girls. Alice pleaded with Carroll to take this story down on paper and the author obliged, presenting her with the manuscript roughly two years later wherein he received feedback from her and other children to make edits which would please young minds.

The second title is Carroll's sequel to Alice in Wonderland, including the Jaberwocky and The Walrus and the Carpenter verses, and the episode involving Tweedledum and Tweedledee.

Alice's Adventures: later edition (seventy-fifth thousand); 8vo (19 x 13 cms); half-title, 42 woodcut illustrations after John Tenniel (including frontispiece), usual age-toning, some light foxing to title-page and tissue-guard, occasional minor spot or mark throughout, neat contemporary ownership inscription to half-title; Through the Looking Glass, and what Alice Found There, later edition, (fifty-sixth thousand); 8vo (19 x 13 cms); half-title, 50 woodcut illustrations after John Tenniel (including frontispiece); usual age-toning, minor blemishes, spotting to prelims, some light foxing to title-page, frontispiece and tissue-guard, occasional minor spot or mark throughout, neat contemporary ownership inscription to half-title; publisher's crimson cloth, double blind panelling, all edges gilt, black endpapers, starting to split at front of vol. I but still firm, some rubbing to extremities, spines a little faded, small stain to top edge of upper board of second vol. but overall in very good condition; [xi], [1], pp 192, [5]; [xi], [1], pp 224, [5]