Riddle MeDo you have a passion for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland? Since starting at the Story Museum in Oxford (where I work as the Museum’s Content Shepherdess) I’ve noticed that some of my most creative friends do. I’m starting to wonder if there is a connection…
Alice was never one of my favourites – I blame the Disney illustrations of Alice as a blonde, I just never identified as a child (I was much more into Matilda or, funnily enough, the BFG’s Sophie). Maybe that is why I didn’t grow up to be a designer, unlike Philip, Lucy, Eun… Or maybe it was because I was never meant to be a designer that I didn’t like the book? Hmmm. Not a very scientific investigation so far; any further comments on this most welcome.
I have also been learning many wonderlandish things about the book and its author – Lewis Carroll – including his real name, ‘day job’ and hobbies; that the book pokes fun at the rigid Victorian education system and that the Hatter is never called the Mad Hatter in the book, only his tea party is. And come to think of it, the tea party isn’t his at all, but happens outside the March Hare’s house.
Alice is apparently one of the most translated texts in the world. From Oxford to Korea and Brazil, the story has travelled a long way in its 150 years – perhaps no surprise then if a fair bit has been lost in translation along the way.
In celebration of the anniversary of the first telling of Alice’s adventures – by a certain Charles Dodgeson to one Alice Liddell – and of its many interpretations since, the Story Museum is hosting a touring exhibition of illustrations of Alice that features artists from all over the world. Barely a blonde Alice in sight.
The Museum has developed two supporting ‘activity rooms’ where visitors can enjoy the story and experience our interpretation of the Hatter’s tea party. I was lucky enough to be involved in commissioning and planning the activity rooms. And so am extra pleased to share a couple of photos here, as well as a picture of the main exhibition.
Tea with Alicehttp://www.storymuseum.org.uk/the-story-museum/teawithalice
Riddle Me was designed by Philip Cooper, Lucy Carruthers and Rebekah Lidwell
Tea with Alice was curated by Ju Godinho and Eduardo Filipe
All photos by Marc West
The Caper Press 