Early Books

"Alices Adventures in Wonderland"

Illustrated by John Tenniel. In: Haney's Journal of Useful Information, Important Arts and Discoveries, and Valuable Recipes, for Farm, Household and Workshop, and Town and Country.

New York: Haney & Co., Jan. 1868 – Dec. 1869. Volumes 1 and 2.

Haney’s Journal was a popular monthly periodical published in the United States that covered all kinds of unusual or popular subjects such as art, scientific discovery, and even magic tricks. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was serialized in the issues dated March–October 1869.

Almost all of Carroll’s words are present in this serialization, but only 19 of Tenniel’s 42 illustrations, and these are poorly reproduced. This publication is generally considered a piracy, but in fact, there was no international copyright law at the time. The Journal’s publisher, Jesse Haney, was a colorful literary entrepreneur, who probably would not have been deterred from publishing Alice had there been a copyright law. The earliest U.S. Alice printing was three years earlier, in another Haney magazine, Merryman’s Monthly, only one copy of which is known to have survived.

Exhibit item 2.6