Alice in Wonderland fans have a reason to rejoice. A rare first edition of the most-loved children’s story is due for auction next month and it is expected to fetch between millions.
In 1865, author Lewis Caroll wanted 2,000 copies of the classic tale to be printed, only to be withdrawn within a month. The reason: John Tennial, the book’s illustrator, was not happy with the printing of pictures. In 1866, 4,000 copies, bound in cloth, were reprinted. But 23 copies from the ‘1865 printing batch’ were still remaining. Such editions hardly hit the market, but when they do, they are expected to fetch well over a million dollars.