Sir John Tenniel : Alice's White Knight

Art, Design & Photography Biography & Memoir

Rodney Engen’s biography Sir John Tenniel: Alice’s White Knight explores the Victorian illustrator whose drawings defined Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. This first-edition hardcover traces Tenniel’s career at Punch and the origins of Wonderland’s most famous images, making it essential reading for collectors of illustration, children’s literature, and Victorian art.

Published in 1991 by Lund Humphries, the 234-page volume balances scholarly insight with readable narrative, appealing to both young adults discovering Tenniel and seasoned enthusiasts tracking first-state editions. Engen’s research situates the artist within the golden age of British cartooning while illuminating the technical craft behind Tenniel’s instantly recognizable wood-engraved lines.

The book arrives in very good vintage condition: pages remain clean and tightly bound, and the dust jacket shows only light shelf scuffing that does not detract from display. Measuring 10 x 7.6 inches and weighing just under two pounds, it fits neatly on an art-book shelf yet feels solid in hand, perfect for gift-giving or upgrading a Carroll collection.

Because it carries no library markings or inscriptions, this copy retains full collector value. Keywords like “first edition Tenniel biography,” “Alice illustrator reference,” and “Victorian cartoonist hardcover” help treasure-hunters land an authoritative life-of-the-artist title that rarely surfaces in such tidy condition.