Gwynedd May Hudson, (1881-1935), is one of my all time favorite illustrators of Alice in Wonderland. Frustratingly, I can’t find much about her biography, (I’m pretty sure that most info found about her online is wildly inaccurate – for example, the vast majority of web resources state she was born in 1909, hence published Alice at the tender age of 13, which doesn’t make any sense).
She was a British painter and illustrator, mainly known for her illustrations of Alice in Wonderland, and Peter Pan. Her ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’, was first published in 1922. I have the fantastic blue Boots edition. 
What do I like about this book? Many times this is the 1st book I pull out, when I show my collection. Its the perfect antique Alice in Wonderland.
While I don’t have a copy with the pretty dust jacket, the magic begins with the beautiful gilded illustration of a pixie like Wonderland. We see Alice, the White rabbit, a snail on am mushroom, and the tarts thief. 
The pages of this edition are thick and heavy.
All the illustrations have a protective thin paper, with a charming print over it, and are pasted down. 
see the print in the back of the protective sheet?
Let’s go over all the illustrations:
The Mad Hatter on the back of the front hardcover
Book title written top to bottom.
Title page
Published by Hodder and Stoughton limited, for Boots Pure Drug Co., Ltd., Nottingham, Engraved and Printed by Henry Stone & Sons, Limited, Banbury and London.
The White Rabbit, below the table of contents
I believe this is none other than Bill the lizard, in his role as a juror. Below the list of book plates. 
Every chapter has a unique dedicated illustration and graphical styling of its own. Here’s chapter one, Down the Rabbits hole.
Note the playful A that’s connected in a continued line, making out the ground Alice is running on to the rabbits hole. On this page we also have Alice falling down the hole, and what she sees on the way down. 
Eat me
Chapter 2 – The pool of tears
The White Rabbit rushing, with a fan and gloves, in his hand.
This is my personal favorite depiction of the White Rabbit. He is dressed up like a 17th Century royalty from the French court. All puffed up and very stylish.
The animals swimming in Alice’s pool of tears
Chapter 3 – The Caucus race and long tale.
Beautiful page design and illustrations. Note how the animals at the top of the page, are looking down, connecting eyes, with Alice and the rest of the animals at the bottom of the page
Also note the fantastic initial, aka initium, where we have the mouse with his dangling tail, in the letter T. 
Caucus race crew
Bill the lizard, after getting kicked through the chimney. Poor guy.
Alice playing with the puppy
Chapter 5 – Advice from a Caterpillar. Alice taking a bit of shroom.
Alice and the Caterpillar, taking some advice, while he is smoking his hookah.
Father William, balancing a snake of his nose. 
Chapter 6 – Pig and Pepper. The Footmen.
Alice, the Duchess, the pig-baby, the cook, and the cat.
Note how Hudson makes the baby somewhat pig-ish, with what look like hoofs for hands, pointed pig ears, and an overall piggy face. I love this scene, and I love what Hudson is doing with it. At the center, Alice and the Duchess seem composed, while chaos is spread around them.
The Cheshire cat
Chapter 7 – A Mad Tea Party. The Mad Hatter
Gwynedd Hudson’s Mad Tea Party Trio, the Hatter, the March Hare and the Dormouse.
The Hatter and March hare, tormenting the poor Dormouse
Chapter 8- The Queen’s Croquet Ground
The Gardners painting the roses
The Queen, the King, the Executioner, and the Cheshire cat
The Hedgehogs
Chapter 9 – The Mock Turtle’s Story.
Initial of the Gryphon behind the Y.
‘Alice did not much like the Duchess so close to her’
The Classical Oyster
Chapter 10 – The Lobster Quadrille
Alice, the Mock Turtle, and the Gryphon
Beautiful soup
Chapter 11 – Who stole the tarts?
The trial
I believe this must be the suspected tarts thief
Chapter 12 – Alice’s evidence. The White rabbits and the jurors
Alice attacked by the whole pack of cards
The End – Alice waking up
1 comment
Comments are closed.