Lewis Carroll self-portrait, aged 24 at that time
This rare and introspective self-portrait of Lewis Carroll — born Charles Lutwidge Dodgson — was taken in 1856, when he was just 24 years old. Captured in the gardens of Christ Church, Oxford, where Carroll studied and taught mathematics, this image reveals a quiet, studious young man, not yet the world-famous author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
In 1856, photography was still in its infancy, and Carroll himself was an avid experimenter with the medium. His portraits were considered remarkably sensitive for the time, often blending artistic vision with scientific curiosity — much like his writing.
Just nine years later, in 1865, Alice’s Adventures would be published, forever altering the landscape of children's literature. But here, Carroll is not yet a literary icon — just a young Oxford scholar with a notebook and a camera.
📚 Have vintage portraits of writers, scholars, or everyday thinkers in your family archive? Share them on Oldpik.com and help preserve the quiet faces behind great ideas.
In 1856, photography was still in its infancy, and Carroll himself was an avid experimenter with the medium. His portraits were considered remarkably sensitive for the time, often blending artistic vision with scientific curiosity — much like his writing.
Just nine years later, in 1865, Alice’s Adventures would be published, forever altering the landscape of children's literature. But here, Carroll is not yet a literary icon — just a young Oxford scholar with a notebook and a camera.
📚 Have vintage portraits of writers, scholars, or everyday thinkers in your family archive? Share them on Oldpik.com and help preserve the quiet faces behind great ideas.
Contributed by OldPik on January 7, 2024
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