Dream Snarks

[top]: Detail from the etching (1566-1568) The Image Breakers by Marcus Gheeraerts the Elder.

[center]: Detail from the illustration (1876) by Henry Holiday to The Hunting of the Snark. C. L. Dodgson did not want Henry Holiday to depict the Snark in the illustrations to The Hunting of the Snark. But Holiday was allowed to let it appear veiled by its "gown, bands, and wig" in The Barrister's Dream.

[bottom]: Redrawn image from a concept draft by C. L. Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll). The original drawing was part of a lot consisting of an 1876 edition of The Hunting of the Snark and a letter (dated 1876-01-04) by Dodgson to Henry Holiday. The lot was auctioned by Doyle New York (Rare Books, Autographs & Photographs - Sale 13BP04 - Lot 553) offered in November 2013. The whole lot was sold for US$ 25000. (www.doylenewyork.com/asp/fullcatalogue.asp?salelot=13BP04+++553+&refno=++953647&image=2)

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This shows: First C. L. Dodgson defined the concept [bottom], then Henry Holiday did the artwork (including the allusions to Gheeraert's "head" [top]) and finally Joseph Swain cut the illustration [center] into a woodblock.