The relationship between Alice Liddell and Lewis Carroll still sparks controversy. In addition to his literary pursuits Carroll, real name Charles Dodgson, was also an avid photographer. His favorite subjects? Young girls.
It’s hard to argue with the speculators. This famous image by Carroll of six-year-old Liddell dressed in beggar garb could be purely innocent, sure, but her bare legs and severely off-the-shoulder neckline might also beg to differ. (Read more on Time.com: Malice in Wonderland?)
Though there was never evidence that linked Carroll to pedophilia, a missing page of his journal, a journal that often talked of his little “girl friends,” is widely thought to contain the details behind the end of his relationship with Liddell sometime during the summer she turned 12. It was Liddell’s mother who intervened to sever the connection.
Still, by that time Liddell’s legacy as Alice – yes, the Alice, was secure and unwavering. She grew up to join high society Britain, and was even later romanced by Prince Leopold. Sadly, Queen Victoria wouldn’t allow the couple to marry, and Leopold married a princess instead. He named his first child, a daughter, Alice.
More on Techland: Alice in Wonderland Review: Burton’s Finally Having Fun Again (B+)
