El día de asueto de un fotógrafo.

by Lewis Carroll

El reverendo Charles Lutwidge Dodgson era un tímido diácono de Oxford que ejercía como profesor de matemáticas; un hombre bastante corriente si no fuera por su afición a fotografiar jovencitas y por unos libros extraños que publicó con el pseudónimo Lewis Carroll. Amante de las paradojas, aquel hombre tranquilo no supo que su vida iba a convertirse en la mayor de ellas: acabar siendo nuestro contemporáneo. Aunque, para evitar malentendidos, habrá que aclarar que ese hombre fantasioso a pesar de su carácter meticuloso y obsesivo, conocido hoy como Lewis Carroll, y tal como señaló agudamente Virginia Woolf, no es un escritor para niños, sino —sobre todo en las dos Alicias— un escritor capaz de hacer libros en los que podemos, de nuevo, volver a ser niños. Los textos que se reúnen en este volumen, sin embargo, están dirigidos claramente a un público adulto, y revelan al Carroll más brillante: al mago del lenguaje capaz de los más sofisticados juegos de palabras, a menudo de casi imposible traducción; al matemático apasionando por la lógica; al genial creador de paradojas; incluso, en el relato que da título al libro, al fotógrafo pionero que fue.

Genres: Photography, Art, Nonfiction, History, Art and Photography, Biography

150 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

The Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, better known by the pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican clergyman and photographer.

His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass as well as the poems "The Hunting of the Snark" and "Jabberwocky", all considered to be within the genre of literary nonsense.

Oxford scholar, Church of England Deacon, University Lecturer in Mathematics and Logic, academic author of learned theses, gifted pioneer of portrait photography, colourful writer of imaginative genius and yet a shy and pedantic man, Lewis Carroll stands pre-eminent in the pantheon of inventive literary geniuses.

He also has works published under his real name.

Reviews

[Alejandro Ortega · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un libro raro en el que se condensan las pasiones de Carroll: fotografíar jovencitas, la literatura y las matemáticas. Me encantó el texto que da nombre al libro. Me quedo con ese.

[degelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lewis Carroll (real name Charles Dodgson) scholarship has some of the strangest controversies I've encountered, mostly because it's the inverse of the usual hero worship and denial for the sake of "genius." Today's accepted consensus is that Dodgson was a pedophile (although possibly celibate), which has been reiterated by biographers and historians since the 1990s. The outliers are those who have questioned those theories, mostly because Dodgson's siblings destroyed any evidence of his sexuality and adult shenanigans (letters burned, journals knifed), leaving little else but his correspondence and praise concerning children, which was in fashion during the Victorian era.

The strange thing is that there is no solid evidence of Dodgson sexually abusing anyone, but with time this new and controversial reputation has been used for shock value and ratings. During the BBC doc The Secret World of Lewis Carroll the filmmakers present what they believe to be a photograph Dodgson took of a nude Lorina Liddell. The thing is... I have seen many photographs of Lorina, enough to know it wasn't a photograph of her. There was also little to no proof that the photo originated from Dodgson's archives. Someone had scribbled Lorina's name on the back, and that was considered evidence enough. So there's that: another myth that won't be dying any time soon.

This book contains actual photographs from Dodgson's career as a photographer, and Douglas R. Nickel writes an extensive essay putting the images into context, from their literary references to their staging and choices of props. Considering what we know and don't know and will most likely never know about Dodgson's life, the mystery only continues to grow. He took thousands of photographs, and it's estimated that half of them were of children. Nearly all of them are noted in his diaries, often taken during visits with friends, co-workers and contemporaries. This makes me think that if Dodgson had anything to hide, he probably wouldn't be writing all of this down, but who knows.

And sure, it may seem strange to have children leaning against walls or laying down on divans to have their portrait taken, but I know enough about the early days of photography to realize it might have been the only way to get a picture of them holding still, and even then there is the chance of failure. Another thing worth noting is that the content of these photos aren't much different from others taken at the time, including the prolific and famous Julia Margaret Cameron. Should Cameron be considered a pedophilic for taking similar photographs, or considered exempt because she is female and Dodgson is male? When it comes to this and many other questions brought up concerning these photographs, it's a sign that this debate is far from over.

[Alicia Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nickel explores the question of Carroll's personal life though looking at his photograph collection and discussing the historical background of the Victorian age. Here, Nickel argues that Carroll's pictures and his passion for photographing (specifically) children by no means supports the theory that Carroll was a pedophile. Nickel explains the common trends both in photography and in the way that children were viewed during this time period and he claims that current viewers are impeded by the modern-day fears for our children. After Nickel's discussion, several of Carroll's pictures are given as well as a look at those photographed in greater detail. Both compelling and informative, Nickel brings forth questions to the reader about the real Dodgson and Carroll's lore persona, all while he asks the reader to consider how the information surrounding Carroll truly came to be and what it really means.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book explores Carroll's/Dodgson's passion for photography, discusses the mystique of his personality, and the intertwining of the two. The text provides insight into the man. His photographs are technically and artistically excellent, drawing expressiveness from his subjects. Alice Liddell (the 'original' Alice) looks preternaturally mature. A book on *her* would be fascinating.

[Elsa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me gustó, aunque creo que pudo haber sido mejor. It's Carroll, after all. A veces un poco repetitivo, pero no por eso no resultan amenas sus historias. Los problemas sí son una friega, los leí rápido de hecho, pero ya habrá tiempo para calculos y todo eso.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author presents evidence that reframes Carroll's (Dodgson's) photographs in the cultural frame of Victorian times, rather than in contemporary terms. This allows for a much less negative and victimizing interpretation of the works.

[Torie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Astonishing and fascinating.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful pictures and in-depth academic analysis of what it meant to photograph children in Victorian times.

[Shazia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must for Lewis Carroll fan. I wasn't aware that he was a photographer. Interesting perspective.