Lewis Carroll was born in the United Kingdom on January 27th, 1832, as Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. Although he is best known as an extraordinary author, Dodgson was also a well-known photographer, a successful mathematician, and an inventor. Below are some little-known facts about this talented man.
Dodgson attended Christ Church, a college at the University of Oxford, and studied mathematics and classics. He wrote 11 books about mathematics during his life.
In 1861, after graduating and becoming a lecturer in mathematics, Dodgson was made a deacon. Back then, it was a requirement for all lecturers.
After publishing his works in mathematics, Dodgson began writing more creatively. He published a few poems and works containing prose in local and national news and magazine publications.
Alice Liddell, the four-year-old daughter of the dean at Christ Church, as well as her sisters, are said to have been the inspiration for Dodgson’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass.
The seven year relationship Dodgson had with Alice eventually came to an abrupt end. Some scholars speculate that his attachment to the girl may not have been entirely appropriate.
Dodgson was also an accomplished photographer, and photographed many famous men and women including Frederick, the crown prince of Denmark, and Queen Victoria’s son Prince Leopold. His works were published and reviewed in publications such as the New Yorker.
In addition to his skills in mathematics, writing, and photography, Dodgson also loved to invent and tinker with things. It is rumored that he created a version of the game we know today as Scrabble.
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson was a man with many talents. In fact, it is very possible that had he not received such acclaim for the Alice books, we would know him today as a famous photographer or mathematician.