Celebrating 150 Years of
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

2015 is the sesquicentennial anniversary of one of the world’s most celebrated children’s books, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. First published in 1865, Lewis Carroll’s famous story has never been out of print. In the past 150 years, it has been translated into about 170 languages, performed countless times on stage, and adapted time and again for film and television. Along with its sequel, Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has become a whimsical and enduring part of our popular culture.

Alice 150 Years and Counting… The Legacy of Lewis Carroll is drawn from the personal collection of August and Clare Imholtz of Beltsville, Maryland. It is one of a series of exhibitions across the United States and abroad celebrating the 150th anniversary of a much-loved “strange tale” born one “happy summer day.”

Carroll’s imaginative world of nonsense and riddles, populated by unforgettable characters like the Mad Hatter, Queen of Hearts, Cheshire Cat, and White Rabbit, has inspired generations of artists, writers, and curious minds—from philosopher Bertrand Russell to filmmaker Tim Burton. This exhibit celebrates Carroll’s creative legacy and explores the worldwide and timeless appeal of Carroll’s work by showcasing illustrations, translations, book design, and ephemera from the past 150 years.

“How do you know I'm mad?” said Alice.

“You must be,” said the Cat, “or you wouldn't have come here.”