As a child I was fascinated by Lewis Carroll’s Alice Through The Looking Glass. I would stare into my full length bedroom mirror for ages and ages and wonder if it really might be possible – somehow – to access that other world behind the glass. Unlike Alice, I wouldn’t even have to climb on to the drawing room mantelpiece, which to my mind looked distinctly hazardous and was likely to attract unwelcome attention from mother.
John Tenniel’s illustrations were anyway profoundly disturbing, yet ever drew me to plumb their bottomless depths. All of which is the excuse of the very much older me to spend Monday morning playing with my camera in Bridgnorth Antiques Centre.
See! Just like Alice, I’ve finally arrived in Looking Glass Land. All it took was my magic little Lumix digital. But sorry, folks, I can’t hang around. Must catch up with the White Knight or I might never make it out again.
Sir John Tenniel illustrator 1820-1914 ~ Alice Through The Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
N.B.
In A Glass Darkly is a collection of strange tales featuring demons, dopplegangers and even a lesbian vampire published by Irish writer, Sheridan Le Fanu in 1872. The vampire story apparently greatly influenced Bram Stoker in his writing of Dracula. I haven’t read these works, but I think they might be worth tracking down.
Please visit Paula at Lost in Translation for more Traces of the Past.
Tish Farrell 
😀 This is so much fun. I hope you caught your White Knight 🙂 I love what you Lumix did and you of course 😀
Glad to make you smile, Paula.
So lovely!
That is totally fascinating as an image, Tish! What devilish trickery! I think I’m caught in the spell. 🙂
Ha! Got you!
At first, I wondered what it I was supposed to be looking at. Us being a bit slow ”down south”. Eventually I saw it. Very cleverly done!
I also loved Alice as a kid. The Eat Me Drink Me scene in the house is my favorite. The imaginary world just beyond the tiny door.
I once had a paperback edition as a kid. I now have a Gollanz hard-cover edition from 1984 with illustrations by Justin Todd. I bought it for the Ems, but it has remained on my bookshelf!
I don’t know that edition. Must check out the illustrations. As to the photo – well now you mention it – it is a bit Cheshire Cat-tish (no pun intented) – doing its fading out or fading in act.
It is a wonderful image. You seem the dab hand at mucking about with the digital.
The illustrations in the 1984 Todd edition reflect Alice as she was intended, apparently, with short dark hair.
Just Google the details and it should come up.
I’ve just looked at the Todd images. They are still surreal but in a hugely less threatening way than Tenniel. And yes, Todd’s Alice looks very like the photos of the real Alice. Especially like the swimming in tears scene
I have no idea how you created that mage Tish but its mesmerising, have you thought of framing it?
It would look even more mysterious framed, wouldn’t it. It’s only a straight reflection with a bit of editing.
If I’d created it I’d definitely have it on my wall.
I liked the illustrations in book.
Most imaginative, Tish!
Thank you, Sue
😊 Actually, I have an 1898 edition of Alice, with those disturbing Tenniel drawings…
My childhood edition was pretty old too. It added to the disturbingness. Not sure what happened to it though.
I also have an old Struwelpeter, seriously disturbing for a child!
Had to go and look this up. Yikes. Edward Scissorhands on the rampage, and nowhere near as appealing as Johnny Depp 🙂
Quite
What fun. Those Tenniel illustrations fed my childhood imagination too.
Your imagination has run wild Tish with this photo and taken me with you through that looking glass. And it brought back memories. As a child I used to play a game of getting round the house without touching the floor and teetering along the mantelpiece was part of the excitement. Of course I only did this when my Mother was out.
Oh I love this image of you. I think you carried the spirit of rebellion and exploration into grownupdom, didn’t you 🙂
Way to go Tish… 🙂
That first paragraph reminded me of this, Tish 😉
LOL 😀
Delightful Tish. Outdoor is waiting for you and your LUMIX and bring back your tails digital. Anything is possible.
Connie
Thanks, Connie 🙂
That is *wonderful* photograph – full of interesting shapes, and mystery.
Alison
🙂
Great stuff, Tish. The horse’s head reminded me of “The Goose Girl.” The protagonist’s enemies chop Falada’s (her horse) head off and pin it on the wall – but every time she passes it with her geese, it speaks to her. “Alas, Alas, if your mother knew, her loving heart would break in two.” Hmm, I wonder what your horse might be saying?
Now you could have started something 🙂
Here’s a URL to a fab illustration of Falada and the goose girl. This may work, or it may not!. https://packwood504.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/6383304777_4870717008_o.jpg?w=1462
It did work, and it is fab, Kate.