June 16, 2016: One of the few surviving copies of the original novel “1865 Alice” goes on sale today after the Book and Manuscript auction at Rockefeller Plaza. Christie’s, known for its art business and auctions, will sell this rare item.
The estimated price of the work ranges from $2 million to $3 million. Before this sale, the novel made a world tour that began at the end of May in London. The piece then made its way to the United States to San Francisco, Los Angeles, and ended in New York.
The “1865 Alice” edition on sale is one of 10 copies still in the original red cloth and one of two copies in private hands. The current edition on sale is in very good condition while the other copy in private hands is described as “heavily worn”.
As one would expect, few copies of the original edition are available. At the time of its first printing in 1865, illustrator of Punch magazine at the time, John Tenniel, was unsatisfied with the printing of the book’s images and, therefore, the first edition of the book was withdrawn. Today the opportunity to purchase the book is a chance to have a rare edition of a classic story.
