Archivists at Lincoln Cathedral have unearthed a letter and documents in their collections from author, Lewis Carroll that has direct links with his most famous creation, Alice in Wonderland.
Lewis Carroll Correspondence Discovered in Lincoln Cathedral’s Archives.
The letter sent by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson – better known as Lewis Carroll – was a dinner party invitation to the Henry Ramsden Bramley, who was the Precentor of Lincoln from 1895 to 1905.
Included in the letter is a menu and seating plan, which may have been sent at the same time, or brought back as a memento of the meal, which consisted of clear soup, turbot, black curry, lamb cutlets, apple soufflé and apricot cream.
This extraordinary find has inspired a unique collaboration with the Lincoln School of Creative Arts at the University of Lincoln for their forthcoming festive performance of Alice in Wonderland at the city’s Arts Centre this December.
To mark the find, costume designer, Helen Symonds, has created a fabric using images of the unearthed documents, which has then been stitched into the costumes.
Cast members from the show visited Lincoln Cathedral to film a promotional video and saw for themselves the original documents from the Cathedral collection.
Fern Dawson, Curator at Lincoln Cathedral explained the find has also raised some questions.
“This is an amazing find, which we are delighted to have in the collection here at the Cathedral, but it has raised more questions than answers.
‘For example, it is not known where Bramley and Caroll met; it may have been at Oxford University, or through the mutual acquaintance of famous composer and organist Sir John Stainer, who played the organ at Westminster Abbey for the wedding of Alice Liddle – the inspiration for ‘Alice in Wonderland’.”
As well as Henry Ramsden Bramley, those present included Professor Bartholomew Price, a mathematician at Oxford whose nickname was ‘Bat’ as his lectures went above the audiences’ heads. He is the inspiration for the poem Twinkle Twinkle, Little Bat, recited by the Mad Hatter at his tea party.
Also at the table was William Ranken, Vicar of Sandford-on-Thames. He was another Oxford mathematician, also a great chess rival of Charles – and a chess set features heavily as a theme in Alice Through The Looking Glass.
There is also another mystery to solve; why is a quote from Shakespeare’s The Tempest – The Cloud-Capped Towers – written down the centre of the table in the seating plan? What does it mean?
Alice in Wonderland at Lincoln Arts Centre -Thursday 11 to Sunday 21 December. More information, and ticket prices can be found here.
