John Tenniel was an English draftsman, book illustrator, humorist and political cartoonist. He was born in London and had five siblings. His father was a fencing and dancing instructor. When Tenniel was twenty years old, a tragic event occurred: he was practicing his fencing skills with his father when he suffered a serious injury to his right eye from the latter's foil, from the tip of which the protective cover had fallen off unnoticed. Over the next few years, Tenniel gradually lost all sight in this eye. He hid the severity of his injury from his father so as not to burden him further. About two years after this accident, Tenniel was admitted to the Royal Academy of Arts, but the teaching methods there did not suit him in the long term, so he mainly continued his education autodidactically. For this purpose, he often drew the ancient statues in the London museums as well as costumed actors in theaters and various animals in the zoo. These exercises helped him to develop his attention to detail. He also had a photographic memory and often drew purely from memories.
Tenniel gained notoriety as a cartoonist for "Punch" magazine. With his satirical illustrations, he influenced the political and social reforms of the time. Although he drew thousands of political cartoons (including the famous work "Dropping the Pilot," which depicts Otto von Bismarck), Tenniel is probably best known today for his illustrations of Lewis Carroll's books "Alice in Wonderland" and "Alice Behind the Mirrors." Tenniel produced a total of 92 drawings for these classics of world literature. Originally, Lewis Carroll had tried to illustrate his books himself, but he soon reached the limits of his artistic abilities. Since Carroll was an avid reader of "Punch" magazine, he was well acquainted with Tenniel's work. Before Tenniel produced the first drawings in 1865, the two men had long conversations. The illustrated issues became bestsellers and increased Tenniel's fame considerably. Nevertheless, he largely gave up illustrating books again after this particular project.
A particularly high honor was bestowed upon Tenniel at the age of 73: Queen Victoria knighted him for his special services. It was the first time this honorary title had been bestowed on an illustrator or cartoonist. Tenniel's knighthood improved the social status of black-and-white illustrators and brought new recognition to this rather lowly professional group. When Tenniel retired, he was honored with a formal banquet. On this occasion, Lord Balfour, later Prime Minister, described him as "a great artist and a great gentleman." Shortly before the outbreak of World War I, he died at the ripe old age of 93.
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.jpg "Alice traversing the mirror - in “Alice")
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.jpg "Dropping the Pilot by John Tenniel")
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.jpg "The Mad Hatter in Court by John Tenniel")
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.jpg "The Jabberwocky by John Tenniel")
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.jpg "Alice and the White Rabbit. Illustration by John Tenniel from the first edition of Lewis Carroll")
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.jpg "Alice and the Caterpillar, Illustration from")
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.jpg "Humpty Dumpty, from Alice")
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.jpg "Boer War: Baden Powell encouraging Mafeking to hold out by John Tenniel")
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.jpg "Alice Peering at the Drink Me Bottle, from Alice")
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.jpg "The Mock Turtle and the Gryphon, from Alice")
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.jpg "Alice and the Cheshire Cat, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, by Lewis Carroll (1832-98), Published 1911 (Coloured Lithograph) by John Tenniel")
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.jpg "The Jabberwock, with Eyes of Flame, Came Whiffling Through the Tulgey Wood, Alice")
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.jpg "Alice, Mock Turtle and the Gryphon from Alice")
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.jpg "Fish Footman, from Alice")
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.jpg "Alice and the Dodo, 1889 by John Tenniel")
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.jpg "The White Rabbit, from Alice")
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.jpg "Queen Victoria and Prince Albert Visiting Soldiers Wounded in the Crimean War, at Brompton Hospital, Chatham, 1855 by John Tenniel")
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.jpg "Opening of the Anglo-French telephone line by John Tenniel")
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.jpg "Alice in Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, illustrated by Tenniel by John Tenniel")
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.jpg "Alice in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass, by Lewis Carroll, Illustrated by John Tenniel by John Tenniel")
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.jpg "The Duchess with Her Family, from Alice")
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.jpg "The Mad Hatter and March hare trying to put the Dormouse into a teapot by John Tenniel")
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.jpg "Alice with Flamingo Chats with the Duchess, from")
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.jpg "The Trial of the Knave of Hearts, from Alice")
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.jpg "The White Rabbit is late, from")
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.jpg "The cards to play - in The nursery Alice")
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.jpg "Alice Drops the White Rabbit, from Alice")
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.jpg "Disraeli Given a Peerage by Queen Victoria in 1876 by John Tenniel")
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.jpg "Illustration for the Chapter")
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.jpg "Looking Behind the Curtain, from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1832-98), Pub. 1891 by John Tenniel")
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.jpg "Alice in the Train Carriage, Illustration from Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll by John Tenniel")
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.jpg "Off with Her Head, from Alice")
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.jpg "Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, Illustrated by John Tenniel by John Tenniel")
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.jpg "Alice Tries to Play Croquet with a Flamingo as a Mallet by John Tenniel")
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.jpg "The Mad Hatter by John Tenniel")
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.jpg "Cartoon commenting on the second attempt to lay the Atlantic Telegraph Cable by John Tenniel")
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.jpg "Alice carrying the stork, and talking to the Duchess by John Tenniel")
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.jpg "Off with Her Head! Alice and Her Red Queen by John Tenniel")
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.jpg "The Honest Pot Boy: Reform of Parliament by John Tenniel")
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.jpg "Alice Grows Too Tall for the Room by John Tenniel")
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.jpg "The Mad Hatter, in the chapter The Tarts by John Tenniel")
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_warn_-_(MeisterDrucke-1036235).jpg "Napoleon III dressed as a rag-picker, warned off by Otto von Bismarck by John Tenniel")
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.jpg "The Mad Hatter and the March Hare trying to put the Dormouse into a teapot by John Tenniel")
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.jpg "The Youth Astounded by John Tenniel")
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.jpg "The Duchess with her family, from")
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_an_English_illustrator_-_(MeisterDrucke-1036368).jpg "Santa racing through the snow by John Tenniel")
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