Lewis Carroll

a group of 5 albumen prints, comprising 4 cabinet cards and one carte-de-visite, each with annotations in ink or pencil, and 2 with Henry Holiday's 'h h' monogram in pencil, on the reverse, 1869-74 (5)

Christie's South Kensington, 24 March 1983, Lot 229

Stephen White, Los Angeles, late 1980s or early 1990s

Edward Wakeling, The Photographs of Lewis Carroll: A Catalogue Raisonné (Austin, 2015), 1677, 2032, 2132, 2133, 2222 

These early prints are in generally good condition. The highlights are warm-toned and have yellowed to varying degrees. Fading is also visible on some of the prints. Soiling, occasional faint foxing, and superficial surface scratches are visible upon close examination on the prints and on the reverse of the mounts. The edges of the mounts are worn. Alexandra “Xie” Kitchin on couch (IN-1677) – On the reverse of the mount, the following is written in an unidentified hand in pencil unless otherwise specified: ‘1. Xie’ in ink; ‘Age ? 6’; ‘GK – 18,18’; and ‘presented by Lewis Carroll.’ The overall dimensions are 5.5 by 4 inches. Alexandra “Xie” Kitchin reclining on chair (IN-2032) – The number ‘5’ is written in an unidentified hand in pencil in the lower right corner of the mount. On the reverse of the mount, the following is written in an unidentified hand: ‘15 Xie’ in ink and ’60 18 A’ in pencil. The overall dimensions are 3.625 by 2.375 inches. Alexandra “Xie” in profile (IN-2133) – This photograph is on green-ruled card. On the reverse, the following is written in an unidentified hand in pencil unless otherwise specified: ‘4. Xie’ in ink; ‘h. h.’; ‘GK 18,14’; and ‘12.’. The overall dimensions are 5.875 by 4 inches. Alexandra “Xie” Kitchin as Dane (IN-2132) – This photograph is on green-ruled card. On the reverse, the following is written in an unidentified hand in pencil: ‘guide’ and ‘GC 61,2,1.’ The overall dimensions are 5.875 by 4 inches. Alexandra “Xie” Kitchin in striped dress reclining on chair – This photograph is on green-ruled card. The number ‘13’ is written in an unidentified hand in pencil in the lower right corner of the mount. On the reverse of the mount, are the following in pencil: ‘1717’; ‘GK 18,5’; and ‘by Lewis Carroll.’ The overall dimensions are 6 by 4 inches.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Alexandra (Xie) Kitchin, the daughter of Lewis Carroll's friend and Oxford University colleague Rev. George W. Kitchin, was one of Carroll's most frequent subjects, and he made at least 50 known images of her throughout her childhood and young adulthood.  The photographs offered here come originally from the collection of the artist Henry Holiday, who illustrated Carroll’s nonsense poem The Hunting of the Snark (1876), and with whom he remained close friends throughout his life.  Of Carroll’s portraits of Xie, Holiday writes in his autobiography, Reminiscences of My Life (London, 1914), ‘She was a perfect sitter, and Dodgson asked me if I knew how to obtain excellence in a photograph.  I gave it up. “Take a lens and put Xie before it.” I have a collection of these portraits, all good’ (p. 165).  An album of Carroll photographs assembled for Holiday is in the Parrish Collection at Princeton University.

Carroll is perhaps best known as the author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, which celebrates its 150^th anniversary in 2015.