In 1862, a shy Oxford don named Charles Lutwidge Dodgson rowed two little girls along the River Thames. One of the girl’s was Alice Liddel, the daughter of the dean. Alice enjoyed the story so much that she asked Charles to write it down, which he did as a Christmas gift in 1864, accompanied by his own illustrations. A year later, the story was published under the name Alice in Wonderland, using Dodgson’s pseudonym, Lewis Carroll.
The story went on to become one of the most popular works in children’s literature. Critics were initially unimpressed by the publication, but as time went on, the public fell in love and fans included Queen Victoria and a young Oscar Wilde. Today, the timeless fantasy of Alice in Wonderland has captured the imagination of filmmakers and theatre directors alike with countless stage productions and two dozen big screen versions, including the beloved animated adaptation by Walt Disney and the trippier live action reworking directed by Tim Burton.
As Alice celebrates her 150th Birthday, the story continues to inspire us too! From Mad Hatter’s Tea Parties to Croquet with the Red Queen, every little girl and boy can tumble down the rabbit hole into their very own Wonderland, created by the Crafty Arty Parties team (with a little help from Prop Dead Gorgeous too, of course!). So if you think the Cheshire Cat and some giant cards will brighten up your family fun day, contact heather.mitchell@craftyartyparties.com for more information!