The following information is provided by Christie's

Christie's are pleased to announce the sale of the Nicholas Falletta Collection of Lewis Carroll Books and Manuscripts, which will take place at our South Kensington rooms on Wednesday 30 November 2005 at 2:00pm.

Like many Falletta first became acquainted with Carroll at a tender age. Beyond early readings of the Alice books, Falletta, now a publisher and editor of mathematical textbooks, first started truly engaging with Carroll after coming across the `Barber Shop Paradox' in the recently published Symbolic Logic Part II. John Cook Wilson and Carroll's long running argument resolved a related problem Falletta had been considering. This led to a pursuit of all things paradoxical, culminating in the publication in 1985 of Falletta's The Paradoxicon.

Falletta's passion for mathematics, as Carroll's, is of course reflected in his collection, which includes a number of rare mathematical pamphlets, sometimes unrecorded by The Handbook, or the only known copy, for example: Notes on the First Part of Algebra (1861), the rare second part of Curiosa Mathematica (Pillow Problems; 1895), The Formulae of Plane Trigonometry (1861), Algebraical Formulae and Rules (1870) and a number of rare cyclostyle publications. Rare pamphlets on games also feature prominently, including: Mischmasch (1882), Word-Links (which later became Doublets, 1879), Memoria Technica (1888), Lanrick (1881) and others. Falletta was a very determined collector, motivated not simply by rarity, but by items which perhaps have been obscured by rarity and are deserving of more attention: pamphlets like The Principles of Parliamentary Participation (1884) or ephemera like the Latin Jabberwocky (1881) or Dreamland (1882). Manuscript material also features, including fine letters to Princess Alice, and a number of Carroll's small friends, as do more unusual items, such as the original copperplate for the final and definitive version of `The Mouse's Tale', one of the best known concrete poems in English.

The printed books in Falletta's collection are equally indicative of his passion for books with a story to tell beyond the printed word. Many of the books are presentation copies, often inscribed ahead of publication; and those that are not are distinguished by interesting provenance or by great condition. These outstanding books include Carroll's own marked up copy, in the original cloth, of Through the Looking Glass (1893) indicating all the printing problems that led to its suppression - a unique book giving great insight into Carroll, and his difficult relationship with Macmillan. The collection also includes a remarkably fine copy of Alice's Adventures (1866), a copy of Through the Looking Glass (1872) with fine, original pencil drawings by Tenniel, The Hunting of the Snark (1876) in its original dust-jacket, and other copies in rare presentation bindings, Alice Liddell's own copies of some of the Alice books, and Carroll's own copy , the only one known, of the rare privately printed The Lost Plum Cake, and a presentation copy of the first trade edition for which Carroll contributed an introduction - his last lifetime publication.

The auction catalogue of this fine and thoughtfully assembled collection will be available in the first week of November. Any enquiries can be directed to Sven Becker (020 7389 2154; sbecker@christies.com).