Rene Cloke – Playful Alice

Rene-Cloke-Alice-in-Wonderland-1-Dust-jacket-Front-Cover

Rene Cloke (1904-1995), was a gifted British illustrator, with a rich body of work, mostly as an illustrator of books and postcards.
Her Alice in Wonderland was first published in 1944.
I know I sometimes say on Alice editions that they are ‘profusely illustrated’, but if there’s an Alice edition that really is profusely illustrated, it’s Cloke’s Alice. It has 80+ illustrations. Some in color, most are in 3 colors.
Cloke’s Alice in Wonderland, is playful and sweet. Her Wonderland isn’t dark or threatening, but rather fun and child-friendly.
Let’s dive into my copy, 1st edition, 1944ish, with the dust jacket.
One note about this book, and this particular post. I’ll place it’s illustrations by order of appearance in the book. As you’ll see some of the illustrations are not synched with the text / chapter the scenes appear on.

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Dust jacket of front cover

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Dust jacket back cover

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Front cover (dust jacket removed)

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Alice falling down the rabbit’s hole

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Title page – Published by P. R. Gawthorn LTD.

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Alice watching the White Rabbit’s house

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The Tea Party Trio – Hatter, March hare & Dormouse

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Bill the Lizard kicked out of the chimney, on the printer’s details page

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Alice and the animals in the caucus race

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Alice and the White Rabbit (p.s. this looks like it’s part of the trial scene)

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Alice and sister – Chapter 1

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White rabbit looking at his pocket watch

Rene-Cloke-Alice-in-Wonderland-13-Alice-following-White-Rabbit
Alice watching the White Rabbit go down the rabbit’s hole

Rene-Cloke-Alice-in-Wonderland-14-Alice-peeping-into-wonderland
Alice peeping through the tiny door into Wonderland

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Alice picking up the ‘Drink Me’ bottle

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Alice shrinking after drinking the ‘Drink Me’ bottle

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Chapter 2 – Pool of tears

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Alice crying

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The White Rabbit dropping his fan and gloves

Rene-Cloke-Alice-in-Wonderland-20-caucus-race
Alice and the animals contemplating how to get dry, after swimming in the pool of tears. Note that the colored illustrations aren’t in-line with the text, and the monochromatic illustrations.

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Alice putting on one of the White Rabbit’s gloves

Rene-Cloke-Alice-in-Wonderland-22-swiming-in-pool-of-tears
Alice swimming alongside the mouse, in her pool of tears

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Chapter 3 – A Caucus-race and a long tale

Rene-Cloke-Alice-in-Wonderland-24-mouses-tale
The mouse’s tale

Rene-Cloke-Alice-in-Wonderland-25-alice-and-dodo
Alice and the Dodo

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The mouse weeping

Rene-Cloke-Alice-in-Wonderland-27-animals-running-from-alice
Alice makes the animals uncomfortable with her remarks on Dinah, her cat

Rene-Cloke-Alice-in-Wonderland-28-chapter-4-rabbits-sends-bill
Chapter 4 – The Rabbit sends a Little Bill

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Alice outside the White Rabbit’s house

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Giant Alice inside the White Rabbit’s house, kicking poor Bill through the chimney

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Alice’s giant hand, shocking the poor White Rabbit

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Alice and the Caterpillar

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Poor Bill the lizard, getting carried out for further care

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Alice and the Puppy

Rene-Cloke-Alice-in-Wonderland-35-alice-and-caterpillar-chapter-5
Chapter 5 – Advice from a Caterpillar

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Alice by the mushroom

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Father William balancing a snake on his nose

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Alice taking some shrooms

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Alice and the pigeon

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Chapter 6 – Pig and Pepper

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Alice and the Footman

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Alice, the duchess, the baby, and the cook

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The cook tossing dishes at the duchess and the baby, with Alice

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The cook

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Alice and the pig baby

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Alice and the Cheshire cat

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Chapter 7 – A Mad Tea Party

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The Mad Hatter

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Alice and the Tea Party Trio

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Hatter pouring tea over the poor dormouse

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The Dormouse

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The Hatter and The March hare tormenting the poor Dormouse

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Chapter 8 – The Queen’s Croquet Ground

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Painting the Roses

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A Mad Tea Party

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Alice, the Royals, and their squires

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Alice and the White Rabbit

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Alice, holding the Flamingo, speaking to the Cheshire cat

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Soldier

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Chapter 9 – The Mock Turtle’s Story

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The Duchess, way too close to Alice

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Alice, the Duchess, and the Gryphon

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The Mock turtle, crying

Rene-Cloke-Alice-in-Wonderland-64-alice-mock-turtle-gryphon
Alice, the Gryphon, and the Mock Turtle

Rene-Cloke-Alice-in-Wonderland-65-mock-turtle-gryphon-chapter-10
Chapter 10 – The Lobster Quadrille

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Alice and the Queen on the Croquet ground

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The Lobster Quadrille

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Fish and snail

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Alice

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Owl and Panther. I had to go back to the text to see where on earth there are a panther and an owl. Well, here they are (at the end of chapter 10):
“…“Go on with the next verse,” the Gryphon repeated impatiently: “it begins ‘I passed by his garden.’”

Alice did not dare to disobey, though she felt sure it would all come wrong, and she went on in a trembling voice:—

“I passed by his garden, and marked, with one eye,
How the Owl and the Panther were sharing a pie—” “

Rene-Cloke-Alice-in-Wonderland-71-alice-gryphon
Alice and the Gryphon, running

Rene-Cloke-Alice-in-Wonderland-72-white-rabbit-chapter-10
Chapter 11 – Who stole the tarts?

Rene-Cloke-Alice-in-Wonderland-73-alice-jury
Alice and the Jury

Rene-Cloke-Alice-in-Wonderland-74-hatter-trial
Hatter giving a testimony in front of the King and Queen, with the march hare and the dormouse

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The Queen

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The hatter pleading

Rene-Cloke-Alice-in-Wonderland-77-cook-trial
The cook at the court

Rene-Cloke-Alice-in-Wonderland-78-alice-chapter-12
Chapter 12 – Alice’s Evidence. Alice with the flying cards

Rene-Cloke-Alice-in-Wonderland-79-alice-turtle-gryphon
Alice, the Gryphon, and the mock turtle

Rene-Cloke-Alice-in-Wonderland-80-alice-jury
Alice breaking down the court

Rene-Cloke-Alice-in-Wonderland-81-king-white-rabbit
White rabbit, King, and soldiers at the trial

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The White Rabbit in the trial

Rene-Cloke-Alice-in-Wonderland-83-bill-trial
Poor Bill the lizard

Rene-Cloke-Alice-in-Wonderland-84-king-queen-rabbit
White Rabbit, Queen and King

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Alice awakens

Rene-Cloke-Alice-in-Wonderland-86-alice-pack-of-cards
Alice tearing down the court

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