The unique publishing history of the 1865 first edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is essential in understanding the collecting history of the book. The Reverend Charles L. Dodgson, better known as author Lewis Carroll, wrote the story for the daughter of a family friend. After financing the printing and publishing of 2,000 copies of the story out of his own pocket in 1864, the author and his illustrator, artist John Tenniel, felt that the inking of the text and the reproduction of the artwork did not measure up to their standards.

Although Dodgson had presented 48 copies to friends and family, the remaining unbound sheets were sold to an American publisher, and 2,000 improved copies were set to be published by Macmillan, also to be paid for by the author.

Today, 23 copies of the 1865 edition of Alice are known to have survived. (more)

via http://www.indiana.edu/~liblilly/games/alice.html

http://www.all-art.org/literature/history1Caroll2.html