February 28, 1820

John Tenniel, ( February 28,  1820 to February 25, 1914), once the main artist for Punch magazine, was even more famous during the 19th century than the man we associate him with today: Lewis Carroll.  His illustrations for the Alice books are iconic and Tenniel even created a chessboard with an Alice in Wonderland theme. 

This forgotten endeavor was rediscovered when this board was bought in 2011,  by rare books dealer Jake Fior. Fior had no idea the board was a one-off, nor who the artist had been. But he researched the designs and with a forensic approach was able to prove his hope.

Tenniel is now believed to have created the board in 1875. It's provenance remains vague. But the 16 illustrations on the border were drawn by Tenniel and the gold leaf is still 16..5 carat. Each corner of the chessboard has tiny JT initials.

There is only one Cheshire cat. Carroll described it. Tenniel drew it. You have seen it. Here to the right is another cat in Alice that you may have forgotten, and I thank www.victorianweb.org for sharing it. And Lewis Carroll and John Tenniel.