'Alice in Wonderland' 150th Anniversary: See Lewis Carroll's Original Manuscript

Today marks the book's 150th anniversary.

ByABC News
November 26, 2015, 11:01 AM
Reverend Charles Dodgson created this manuscript of "Alice's Adventures Under Ground" as a present for Alice Liddell in 1864.
Reverend Charles Dodgson created this manuscript of "Alice's Adventures Under Ground" as a present for Alice Liddell in 1864.
British Library

— -- Believe it or not, today marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll.

Carroll, whose real name was actually Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, wrote the book in 1865. The story has stood the test of time -- the young girl falling down the rabbit hole into a new world, where her adventures include tea with the Mad Hatter and her interactions with the Queen of Hearts.

To commemorate this important day, The British Library tweeted stunning images of Carroll's original manuscript. The manuscript is on display at the museum, but you don't need to travel to England to see it.

Here are some of the pictures:

PHOTO: Reverend Charles Dodgson created this manuscript of "Alice's Adventures Under Ground" as a present for Alice Liddell in 1864.
Reverend Charles Dodgson created this manuscript of "Alice's Adventures Under Ground" as a present for Alice Liddell in 1864.
PHOTO: Reverend Charles Dodgson created this manuscript of "Alice's Adventures Under Ground" as a present for Alice Liddell in 1864.
Reverend Charles Dodgson created this manuscript of "Alice's Adventures Under Ground" as a present for Alice Liddell in 1864.
PHOTO: Reverend Charles Dodgson took this photo of Alice Liddell who inspired the story that came to be known as "Alice in Wonderland" in 1858.
Reverend Charles Dodgson took this photo of Alice Liddell who inspired the story that came to be known as "Alice in Wonderland" in 1858.
PHOTO: Reverend Charles Dodgson created this manuscript of "Alice's Adventures Under Ground" as a present for Alice Liddell in 1864.
Reverend Charles Dodgson created this manuscript of "Alice's Adventures Under Ground" as a present for Alice Liddell in 1864.

The museum explains that "Charles Dodgson was a mathematics tutor at Christ Church, Oxford in 1856 when he first met Alice Liddell and her siblings, who were the children of the Dean of the college."

It was this friendship with Alice and the other kids that inspired the book.

"Alice Liddell kept the manuscript until 1928 when she was forced to sell it to pay death duties after the death of her husband," the museum explains, adding that, after the manuscript bounced around a bit,"it was purchased by a wealthy group of benefactors who donated the volume to the British people (and the British Museum) in 1948 in gratitude for their gallantry against Hitler during World War Two."