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Lewis Carroll a Biography
This monumental biography was prompted by Morton N. Cohen's belief that the Carroll revealed by the letters, diaries and works was not the same as the Carroll created by his biographers, and it was time to set the record straight. He traces the dual careers of Charles Dodgson, Fellow of Christ Church, Oxford, who made important contributions to mathematics and logic and to the life of the University, as well as being one of the pioneers of photography in Victorian England, and forging strong friendships with children, and of Lewis Carroll, creator of Alice in Wonderland and The Hunting of the Snark, acknowledged masterpieces we still read today and precursors of surrealist writing. No biographer has addressed so judiciously the inner divisions which proved such a creative spur to Carroll's imagination and his genius. The text is enhanced by over 100 of Carroll's photographs and drawings.
592 pages, Paperback
First published October 31, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
October 26, 2011
Okay, there are a lot of theories about who CLD really was, what he was like, whether he was a pedophile or did drugs. A lot of people will downgrade books because they don't go along with their pet theories.
Fact is, this is a good biography that gives a lot of insight into the man. Whether it gives the full picture -- well, it can't; there are huge areas that we know we don't know about.
I didn't agree with all of Cohen's theories, but I thought it was well-written and enjoyable to read.
Fact is, this is a good biography that gives a lot of insight into the man. Whether it gives the full picture -- well, it can't; there are huge areas that we know we don't know about.
I didn't agree with all of Cohen's theories, but I thought it was well-written and enjoyable to read.
May 21, 2015
I've been rereading this biography, along with several others over the last six months. This is probably one of the best biographies about Lewis Carroll, a Victorian mathematician who wrote Alice in Wonderland and other stories. The author does not shy away from suggestions about Carroll's relationship with children. I've studied Carroll off and on for most of my life and I don't believe, for a moment, that he was a pedophile. His interest in children was not sexual, but I do think he had conflicts of a sexual kind outside that nature. Like many Victorians, Carroll was deeply rooted in his time period.
I think a lot of Carroll's personality can be explained in his love of mathematics. People may shake their heads at this, but just look at the psychology of it. Carroll was highly conservative in all things and math was a way he ordered the strange and changing world he lived in. He sometimes stammered, was shy, and Alice in Wonderland is full of math and irony. He was a control freak and morally very strict with himself. I really find him charming in many ways. The fact that he and George MacDonald were friends speaks to his love of fantasy and adventure and the possibility of telling stories for children as a way of talking about the world.
Ironically, children were safe angels. And he photographed them. It's impossible to judge him by modern standards of any kind. Great book. Everyone should read it.
I think a lot of Carroll's personality can be explained in his love of mathematics. People may shake their heads at this, but just look at the psychology of it. Carroll was highly conservative in all things and math was a way he ordered the strange and changing world he lived in. He sometimes stammered, was shy, and Alice in Wonderland is full of math and irony. He was a control freak and morally very strict with himself. I really find him charming in many ways. The fact that he and George MacDonald were friends speaks to his love of fantasy and adventure and the possibility of telling stories for children as a way of talking about the world.
Ironically, children were safe angels. And he photographed them. It's impossible to judge him by modern standards of any kind. Great book. Everyone should read it.
January 4, 2019
I really enjoyed the start of this book, it began in chronological order, was interesting, well written and revealed insight into the beginnings of the man who wrote Alice in Wonderland. However, I felt it got drawn into the justification of Dodgson's behaviour towards children and only spiralled down from there. There was just so much in this, it was INCREDIBLY detailed, and i feel it just lost itself and became a jumbled mess of peoples names, letters and analysing all of his work. I took a break from reading this as I felt it became incredibly heavy, and just the longer I put it down, the less I wanted to pick it back up again- Ultimately my drive to leave no book unfinished made me set out to finish what I started. I feel if you have a big interest in this man, then this certainly is an interesting read, but to me who couldn't care either way, it was just a mess of facts and ultimately I kind of found his entire life boring. I felt like the author was trying to make you think kindly of him, and perhaps view him as stuck as a child himself, however I just do not feel at least bit interested in Dodgson and his life.
Read
March 23, 2009Done. In spite of my basic boredom, I was sad when Carroll died on page 526. Not surprised, but sad.
On another note, does anyone's life really bear this kind of inquiry? I wonder how biographers can stand it. They must be more forgiving than other people.
*
For my Lewis Carroll class. A decent biography, though rather soppy in places. But I can't recommend it, unless you happen to also be teaching a class on Carroll. This is not a life that bears inquiry. Mostly, Carroll's life was dull, except when it wasn't ("The Pursuit of Innocents" is one chapter title). --Not that the man seems to have done anything. Still, if you don't have to know, you don't need to find out.
Not that he isn't teachable. . . or interesting. . . everything is interesting. . . but I wouldn't be reading it if I didn't have to.
On another note, does anyone's life really bear this kind of inquiry? I wonder how biographers can stand it. They must be more forgiving than other people.
*
For my Lewis Carroll class. A decent biography, though rather soppy in places. But I can't recommend it, unless you happen to also be teaching a class on Carroll. This is not a life that bears inquiry. Mostly, Carroll's life was dull, except when it wasn't ("The Pursuit of Innocents" is one chapter title). --Not that the man seems to have done anything. Still, if you don't have to know, you don't need to find out.
Not that he isn't teachable. . . or interesting. . . everything is interesting. . . but I wouldn't be reading it if I didn't have to.
November 2, 2014
This is a first class biography of an amazing and complicated man. If a biographer idolises the subject of his biography then the result can end up being flawed, where the biographer glosses over the subject's negatives or explains them away. But Morton N. Cohen doesn't look to do that. He's clearly a a fan but he doesn't look to ignore the controversies of his personality. He explains things and generally leaves it to the reader to decide what to do with the information.
I found the biography to be highly readable, and while subject material is largely linear, it's not purely so. It does, of course start with the start of his life and finish with the end, but interspersed throughout are occasional chapters that will actually cover his entire life, such as "The man's father" which looks at Charles' relationship with his father throughout his life, and "The man's faith" which looks at Charles' religious beliefs. Other chapters also jump backward and forward through time a bit, but not so much that you loose track of things. I understand why the author did this: he wanted to emphasise things that were important, rather than simply spread them throughout the entire book where vital nuggets of insight might easily become lost. Still, I can see where this approach might bother some. It didn't bother me, though. I enjoyed it from start to finish.
If you're a fan of the "Alice" books (and how could you not be!) then this biography gives a terrific insight into a very complicated, and ultimately, lonely man.
I found the biography to be highly readable, and while subject material is largely linear, it's not purely so. It does, of course start with the start of his life and finish with the end, but interspersed throughout are occasional chapters that will actually cover his entire life, such as "The man's father" which looks at Charles' relationship with his father throughout his life, and "The man's faith" which looks at Charles' religious beliefs. Other chapters also jump backward and forward through time a bit, but not so much that you loose track of things. I understand why the author did this: he wanted to emphasise things that were important, rather than simply spread them throughout the entire book where vital nuggets of insight might easily become lost. Still, I can see where this approach might bother some. It didn't bother me, though. I enjoyed it from start to finish.
If you're a fan of the "Alice" books (and how could you not be!) then this biography gives a terrific insight into a very complicated, and ultimately, lonely man.
July 11, 2008
I'm basically a Lewis Carroll freak (wrote my MA thesis on the guy) and so is Morton N. Cohen, which makes for a dedicated and relatively interesting biography. Cohen is devoted to his subject and doesn't go off the rails into too much speculation as to what Carroll "must have thought" about this or that - namely, the little girls he photographed and spent so much time with. This biography is very thorough and contains some photographs and drawings by Carroll, which is a nice touch.
February 19, 2011
Extremely interesting to read while my book club was reading Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (one of my all time favorites). I admit I was most curious about his unnatural fixation with little girls. He was a genius in mathematical lectures, writing and humor. He took care of his siblings, was a gifted photographer, so multitalented. He took many nude photos of little girls. His diaries are full of heart-wrenching prayers to God to remove his sinfulness.
This author feels Carroll never acted on his unseemly fantasies but spent a life time suppressing his baser thoughts. Too much a Victorian gentleman to put any sexual thoughts in his diaries, people can only guess what really went on in the darkroom.
I am very much drawn to Charles Dobson. Here's a great quote:
"Talking is a wonderful smoother over of difficulties. When I come upon anything in Logic, or in any other hard subject that entirely puzzles me, I find it a capital plan to talk it over aloud, even when I am alone. One can explain things so clearly, to one's self! And then, you know, one is so patient with one's self: one never gets irritated at one's own stupidity."
And I can sure relate to the following passage:
"His uncharacteristic desuetude continued through the latter half of 1870. He recorded no depressions, sadness, or grief, but his old vigor was absent; he seems rather, to float numbly through the days." p. 381
This author feels Carroll never acted on his unseemly fantasies but spent a life time suppressing his baser thoughts. Too much a Victorian gentleman to put any sexual thoughts in his diaries, people can only guess what really went on in the darkroom.
I am very much drawn to Charles Dobson. Here's a great quote:
"Talking is a wonderful smoother over of difficulties. When I come upon anything in Logic, or in any other hard subject that entirely puzzles me, I find it a capital plan to talk it over aloud, even when I am alone. One can explain things so clearly, to one's self! And then, you know, one is so patient with one's self: one never gets irritated at one's own stupidity."
And I can sure relate to the following passage:
"His uncharacteristic desuetude continued through the latter half of 1870. He recorded no depressions, sadness, or grief, but his old vigor was absent; he seems rather, to float numbly through the days." p. 381
June 27, 2019
Hace bastante que leí este libro. Quería conocer la verdadera historia detrás de la novela "Alicia en el país de las maravillas", ya algo sabía de que había existido una Alice verdadera y eso me había llamado poderosamente la atención. Casi como si fuese una leyenda, en donde una parte histórica se mezcla con mitos y fantasía. Lo mismo sucedía en este caso a pesar de ser una historia disparatada había una verdad historia detrás. Lewis Carroll llevaba un diario de su vida (14 cuadernos en total), en donde anotaba escrupulosamente todo lo que le sucedía, por lo cual se conoce su vida con gran detalle. Y por ello el lector sentirá muy de cerca la vida del protagonista.
Se lee con ansias la biografía como si fuese una novela, esperando llegar al climax de la misma en la tarde aquella en que Carroll narra el cuento de Alicia para las hermanas Lidell. Y uno siente también que fue el punto más feliz quizás, en la vida del propio Carroll.
Se lee con ansias la biografía como si fuese una novela, esperando llegar al climax de la misma en la tarde aquella en que Carroll narra el cuento de Alicia para las hermanas Lidell. Y uno siente también que fue el punto más feliz quizás, en la vida del propio Carroll.
July 16, 2022
I'm not usually a fan of biographies but thought I'd give this a go. It's a huge book but surprisingly easy to read. The text is broken up with lots of pictures, letters, photos and drawings which make this an easy and interesting read.
July 27, 2012
Morton Cohen's biography about Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson) is certainly packed with information and provides an interesting look at the famous children's author. However, I disliked the formatting of the book-- each chapter focused on a particular topic -- such as Dodgson's photography, his interest in children, religion-- and covered such a large chunk of Dodgson's life. As such, it was difficult to discern where events fit chronologically in Dodgson's life. I found some of Cohen's conclusions, particularly when it comes to religious matters and Dodgson's relationship with his father to be based more on conjecture by Cohen rather than actual evidence. Nonetheless, I'm walking away from this book with a deeper understanding about Lewis Carroll so it was successful in that way.
July 10, 2016
just "ok"
May 26, 2020
I don't read a lot of biographies, so I do not have a feeling for what makes a great biography. I will say, though, that Cohen did a remarkable job weaving together letters to and from and about Carroll, Carroll's journal, excerpts from other biographies such as Collingwood's biography on Carroll and Clark's biography on Alice Liddell (the Alice who inspired Alice in Wonderland), and other sources to set forth a cohesive story of Carroll's life. I felt like I grew to know Lewis Carroll as a person in much the same way you would get to know a friend after years of knowing him.
That said, a weakness of this biography is that it runs through Lewis Carroll's (Charles Dodgson's) life in several passes, so the full picture of Carroll does not emerge until after you've read each pass. The book does progress mostly in order from Carroll's childhood chronologically up to his death, but the passes mean that, for example, you read Carroll's life during the 1870s (when he was in his 40s) first through the lens of his writing, then through the lens of his mathematical lecturing at Oxford, then through the lens of his relationship with his father, then through the lens of his relationship with his child-friends (almost all of whom were girls), etc. It would have been more illuminating to read one account of his life from beginning to end.
I really appreciated Cohen's stance on Carroll. Whereas many biographers try to scandalize Carroll's strange desire to spend most of his free time with 12-year-old girls, Cohen defends Carroll's behavior toward these girls as being pure and generous. Cohen cites the accounts of several of Carroll's child-friends praising him for his kindness, generosity, patience, and drollery--Carroll's child-friends loved him, learned a lot from him, and had tons of fun with him. Carroll treated his child-friends magnificently, taking them to the theater, introducing them to famous London actresses, teaching them logic, entertaining them with puzzles and riddles and with extemporaneous, nonsensical stories (one of which became Alice in Wonderland). Cohen does admit at the end of book that Carroll probably did desire these girls in a sexual way, but as an ordained deacon in the church and a rigid Victorian, Lewis Carroll kept these desires firmly bottled up his entire life. More than anything, it seemed like Carroll wanted to be loved by his child-friends; they were for him, each in their turn, a surrogate wife.
Although there is no conclusive proof, Carroll's diary having been redacted by his niece, there is strong evidence that, when Alice Liddell was twelve years old, Carroll asked Alice's parents for her hand in marriage. In Victorian times, this was not so unusual; many marriages were arranged between older men and girls who were very young, not to be consummated until the girl became older. Whatever in fact happened, Lewis Carroll suffered a break in his relationship with the Liddells that never fully healed. Carroll struggled with anger toward Mr. Liddell, who was Dean of Oxford's Christ Church where Carroll taught mathematics; and Carroll struggled with loneliness, a void he sought to fill a series of female child-friends (some two to three hundred by his own admission) ever after, unit the end of his life.
Cohen introduced me to Lewis Carroll in a profound way, and for that, I am ever grateful. The book itself could be streamlined and edited to flow in one continuous narrative from Carroll's childhood to death, but even in its current bulky form, it's a great read.
That said, a weakness of this biography is that it runs through Lewis Carroll's (Charles Dodgson's) life in several passes, so the full picture of Carroll does not emerge until after you've read each pass. The book does progress mostly in order from Carroll's childhood chronologically up to his death, but the passes mean that, for example, you read Carroll's life during the 1870s (when he was in his 40s) first through the lens of his writing, then through the lens of his mathematical lecturing at Oxford, then through the lens of his relationship with his father, then through the lens of his relationship with his child-friends (almost all of whom were girls), etc. It would have been more illuminating to read one account of his life from beginning to end.
I really appreciated Cohen's stance on Carroll. Whereas many biographers try to scandalize Carroll's strange desire to spend most of his free time with 12-year-old girls, Cohen defends Carroll's behavior toward these girls as being pure and generous. Cohen cites the accounts of several of Carroll's child-friends praising him for his kindness, generosity, patience, and drollery--Carroll's child-friends loved him, learned a lot from him, and had tons of fun with him. Carroll treated his child-friends magnificently, taking them to the theater, introducing them to famous London actresses, teaching them logic, entertaining them with puzzles and riddles and with extemporaneous, nonsensical stories (one of which became Alice in Wonderland). Cohen does admit at the end of book that Carroll probably did desire these girls in a sexual way, but as an ordained deacon in the church and a rigid Victorian, Lewis Carroll kept these desires firmly bottled up his entire life. More than anything, it seemed like Carroll wanted to be loved by his child-friends; they were for him, each in their turn, a surrogate wife.
Although there is no conclusive proof, Carroll's diary having been redacted by his niece, there is strong evidence that, when Alice Liddell was twelve years old, Carroll asked Alice's parents for her hand in marriage. In Victorian times, this was not so unusual; many marriages were arranged between older men and girls who were very young, not to be consummated until the girl became older. Whatever in fact happened, Lewis Carroll suffered a break in his relationship with the Liddells that never fully healed. Carroll struggled with anger toward Mr. Liddell, who was Dean of Oxford's Christ Church where Carroll taught mathematics; and Carroll struggled with loneliness, a void he sought to fill a series of female child-friends (some two to three hundred by his own admission) ever after, unit the end of his life.
Cohen introduced me to Lewis Carroll in a profound way, and for that, I am ever grateful. The book itself could be streamlined and edited to flow in one continuous narrative from Carroll's childhood to death, but even in its current bulky form, it's a great read.
April 21, 2024
Innovative photographer, mathematician and logician, poet, author, lover of language, fantasy, nonsense, and children, Oxford Don, inventor, and gadabout-Charles Lutwidge Dodgson had an incredible mind. And I would like to know him better. His hobby of photographing nude children is strange to say the least, but due to the number of parents who agreed with his taking them or even sought him out, and knowing the Victorians had odd views when it came to children, I will not assign Freudian motives. Unlike the author of this book.
Author Morton Cohen certainly knows a lot about Lewis Carroll but I don’t appreciate how he presents that knowledge in this book. It’s not simply the assumptions he leaps to at various points, I despise this practice, the way he organized the book does not work for me; it is woven together by subject rather than timeline. I understand why he did it. He includes so much information about each subject timeline would be much more difficult. Perhaps if I read a shorter biography first it would have worked better for me, I’d have hooks to hang all this information on.
I have my eye on Roger Lancelyn Green’s edited volumes of Dodgson’s diaries. Open to other suggestions.
Author Morton Cohen certainly knows a lot about Lewis Carroll but I don’t appreciate how he presents that knowledge in this book. It’s not simply the assumptions he leaps to at various points, I despise this practice, the way he organized the book does not work for me; it is woven together by subject rather than timeline. I understand why he did it. He includes so much information about each subject timeline would be much more difficult. Perhaps if I read a shorter biography first it would have worked better for me, I’d have hooks to hang all this information on.
I have my eye on Roger Lancelyn Green’s edited volumes of Dodgson’s diaries. Open to other suggestions.
August 21, 2021
Lewis Carroll was the pen name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, a mathematician who wrote the beloved Alice books. As a child, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass were in my top 10 books. I loved the poetry, the strange situations, the caring attentiveness to a child's mental state, and the memorable characters.
As for Carroll himself, I knew that he was a lifelong bachelor and had nerdy hobbies. He loved photography and games. Some thought him to be a pedophile, but I didn't think so.
Morton N Cohen writes about Lewis Carroll, the man. It explores his life and personality in the context of the times. It goes into his work as a mathematician and as a creative author.
As for Carroll himself, I knew that he was a lifelong bachelor and had nerdy hobbies. He loved photography and games. Some thought him to be a pedophile, but I didn't think so.
Morton N Cohen writes about Lewis Carroll, the man. It explores his life and personality in the context of the times. It goes into his work as a mathematician and as a creative author.
June 9, 2022
I love big biographies. This one is packed with information: names, dates, more names, chapters that highlight themes out of order, even more names, dates, and information about mathematics even the author doesn't seem to fully understand. In the midst of all that it manages to paint a sympathetic and compelling portrait of the man behind Lewis Carroll. If I write on Dodgson in the future I will surely reference this volume, although the story of the man is occasionally lost in its encyclopedic asides, and I sometimes wondered if the book was really getting to the heart of the man. This biography is firmly in the "Carroll myth" camp, meaning that it defends the idea that Dodgson was a repressed pedophile, although Cohen believes he never fully acknowledged or acted upon his desires, and certainly never abused children. I am told there is another camp of scholars, represented by a younger generation of British women, who believe this whole idea of Dodgson's pedophilia and his obsession with the young Alice Liddell is nonsense. I think Cohen makes a compelling case, but I will have to read a bio from the opposing camp to really know. Either way, Cohen paints Dodgson as a tragic and noble figure, and his biography was immensely detailed and extremely poignant at times. Worth the read.
December 3, 2024
Cohen clearly has done his research, but he didn't have to include every detail. I can only recommend this book if you are interested in every detail of Dodgson's life. The organization of the book is also muddled. It's largely chronological, but skips around in thematic musings.
What is clear is that Dodgson was a highly moral man. His obsession with young girls and the control it took to keep it within acceptable limits tortured him immensely. His delight in puzzles of all kinds and his mathematical career made him an extraordinary man, without considering his unparalleled skill in composing Alice in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass, the Snark . . .
I wish the author had been able to dig more deeply into his composition process.
What is clear is that Dodgson was a highly moral man. His obsession with young girls and the control it took to keep it within acceptable limits tortured him immensely. His delight in puzzles of all kinds and his mathematical career made him an extraordinary man, without considering his unparalleled skill in composing Alice in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass, the Snark . . .
I wish the author had been able to dig more deeply into his composition process.
January 31, 2025
De la colección Biblioteca de la Memoria de Anagrama, he leído varios libros, y el que más me gustó fue el de Marguerite Duras. Tengo otros pendientes, como los de Proust y Sontag. Es una colección excelente.
Aunque no me encantó por su densidad, reconozco que el libro sobre Charles Lutwidge Dodgson es interesante y estéticamente muy cuidado. Sin embargo, seguir sus andanzas no resulta particularmente apasionante, y varios aspectos de su vida siguen envueltos en incertidumbre (¿fue un pedófilo reprimido o simplemente un hombre con una sensibilidad peculiar?). Aun así, el libro tiene un gran valor visual, con fotografías de notable calidad tomadas por el propio Dodgson, un aficionado con talento para la imagen.
Aunque no me encantó por su densidad, reconozco que el libro sobre Charles Lutwidge Dodgson es interesante y estéticamente muy cuidado. Sin embargo, seguir sus andanzas no resulta particularmente apasionante, y varios aspectos de su vida siguen envueltos en incertidumbre (¿fue un pedófilo reprimido o simplemente un hombre con una sensibilidad peculiar?). Aun así, el libro tiene un gran valor visual, con fotografías de notable calidad tomadas por el propio Dodgson, un aficionado con talento para la imagen.
July 26, 2018
Everyone who claims to be a fan of Lewis Carroll or who feels a connection to his works must read this book! Cohen researched Carroll's life and works for pver 30 years, and I have never read a more detailed analysis. The only reason I could not give the book 5 stars is due to the repetition. There is also a bit of off-topic rambling that has to be skimmed over. Other than that, I learned a great deal about Lewis Carroll the man, and Cohen allowed me to develop my own opinion of him.
July 2, 2017
This is probably the definitive bio of Carroll. It's an exhaustive and nuanced exploration of a complex person. It's also completely readable and entertaining. It only gets dry around the math sections. (Carroll was a mathematician.) Very well written.
May 6, 2018
Hardback, 580 pages. All I can really say about this book is that it is really, really good. The author writes it in a way that keeps the reader's interest. There are various pictures, an appendix and notes. Even though it is really long I kept wanting to read more of it. Thoroughly enjoyable.
June 27, 2020
A really interesting and informative biography of a fascinating man! It gets a little boring at the end, but besides that it's great. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in the man behind the Alice books!
April 25, 2023
Whew. This was a long one. Cohen has written an interesting and engaging biography. I think he gets some significant things wrong (as later evidence from Leach demonstrates), but I still appreciate the many dimensions of Carroll that this book captures.
July 22, 2017
3,5 Stars
November 18, 2017
Love this biography! Not as well written as the one by Douglas-Fairhurst, but definitely worth reading.
August 31, 2020
Exceptionally well written. Very thorough, thoughtful and organized. Charles Dodgson would have liked it.
August 8, 2021
3.5 Stars
August 10, 2023
Great book!
April 13, 2021
Loved this book, such a detailed account and insight into this very intelligent man. He accomplished much in-spite of the challenges faced and certainly was indeed a talented person. I have been left with much respect and admiration for this author, a well written account.
October 16, 2023
5 stars for Lewis Carroll, 0 for the biographer.
December 11, 2009
An excellent, fascinating biography of Lewis Caroll, aka Charles Dodgeson. He was the eldest son of a large family, spent a lot of time entertaining his young siblings, and grew up to write Alice in Wonderland based on stories he told to Alice Liddell and her sisters, daughters of the Dean of the Oxford college where he was a don. He preferred the company of children, especially girls, his whole life. Let's cut to the question you're wondering about: yes, he was probably a pedophile; at least the author of this book thinks so. But he was a highly moral and proper person and there is no record of him doing anything even remotely improper with any of the many girls and young women he spent time with over the years. He simply delighted in children. His diaries record struggles with unspecified temptations, and the author shows that the greatest time of this was during the years he was involved with the Liddells, so he may be referring to sexual fantasies. But we shall never know.
He was keen on photography during its early days and photographed girls nude, but only with the parents' permission and only if the girls seemed totally comfortable with it. He kept copies only for a while, and wrote the parents about how they should destroy theirs so as not to embarrass the girls. Although there are letters that show he took a fair number of them, only something like six of his nudes survive.
It was a different time. People thought nude children were just a symbol of innocence and it wasn't a big deal for them to be represented in ads and so forth. Certainly a few people got turned on by ads for Pear's Soap, but most people had no idea.
He was a serious mathematician and inventor (when he learned that Babbage was working on a computing machine, he wrote to him, and the two met to discuss it - I got a huge kick out of this.) He had an off-kilter way of looking at things, as is clear from Alice, and he sounds like someone I would like to have known.
He was keen on photography during its early days and photographed girls nude, but only with the parents' permission and only if the girls seemed totally comfortable with it. He kept copies only for a while, and wrote the parents about how they should destroy theirs so as not to embarrass the girls. Although there are letters that show he took a fair number of them, only something like six of his nudes survive.
It was a different time. People thought nude children were just a symbol of innocence and it wasn't a big deal for them to be represented in ads and so forth. Certainly a few people got turned on by ads for Pear's Soap, but most people had no idea.
He was a serious mathematician and inventor (when he learned that Babbage was working on a computing machine, he wrote to him, and the two met to discuss it - I got a huge kick out of this.) He had an off-kilter way of looking at things, as is clear from Alice, and he sounds like someone I would like to have known.
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