Customer Reviews

Reflections in a Looking Glass: A Centennial Celebration of Lewis Carroll, Photographer

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A study of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson's photography. Typical high quality publication from Aperture. They really set the standard for photo books. This was done for the centennial of Lewis Carroll's death, and was meant to accompany a museum exhibit of the same works.

Overshadowed by his incredibly popular stories of Alice in Wonderland, Mr. Dodson aka Lewis Carroll was primarily a mathematics lecturer and photographer at Oxford. This was in the mid to late 1800's, a time when photography was still a new science, and hardly considered art. Dodson was a bold experimenter and consummate professional at this, his real passion. There is a well-written introduction which explains how he went about his task, and broadens the understanding of his body of work. The photos are mostly of friends and family, and of course many are of young girls.

The photos themselves are interesting. Some are better than others. A few are really captivating. They must be viewed with the understanding that many of these people had never had a photo made of them before Carroll, and most certainly they had not been asked to sit perfectly still for 45 seconds while the exposure ran.

There is nothing offensive or lewd about any of the photos, and the book would be appropriate for all to see. Whatever your feelings about Dodgson, this book will probably not change your mind either way. I find it interesting that so many see fit to criticize him and focus on aspects of his personality that really have nothing to do with his merits as a writer or photographer. Get a life people.

Highly recommended for Carroll fans and students of Victorian photography.