(There is a reference to the Duchess’s pointed chin in the text, although the illustration shows nothing of the sort.)  Tenniel’s Duchess was inspired by a caricature of an old woman drawn by Leonardo da Vinci. This amusing portrait was later developed into a painting by Quentin Matsys, “The Ugly Duchess.”  The Duchess’s ridiculously sumptuous headdress and her wrinkled features are taken directly from those sources.

The Pig-Baby: It is interesting that the Duchess has a baby, since this implies that there is a Duke, and that he has only recently departed. Whether he is imprisoned by the Queen of Hearts, or in exile, or simply out on an errand, we cannot say. Carroll’s dislike of boys (perhaps dating back to the abuses he suffered in school) was well known, and as a result his choice of showing the baby boy as half-pig is not surprising!

The Mysterious Cook: The pepper-obsessed Cook is surely one of the most violent characters in Wonderland (superseded, of course, by the Queen of Hearts). Why the Duchess puts up with the Cook’s antics is not explained. Considering the violent streak, however, it’s entirely possible that the Queen, Duchess and Cook are all related. Her aggression is completely focused on the Duchess, while the Cheshire-Cat feels quite comfortable sitting on the hearth. Whether this all has something to do with the recent disappearance of the Duke (father of the Pig-Baby?) remains wide open to speculation!

From Whence Came the Cheshire-Cat?: One of Carroll’s most famous creations, the Cat remains mysterious and simply grins over our attempts at classification. It is possible that Carroll was inspired by a then-contemporary discussion in Notes and Queries, where the origin of the phrase “to grin like a Cheshire cat” was discussed at length. The real origin, however, is probably from Charles Kingsley’s 1863 story, The Water-Babies: “And the otter grew so proud that she turned head over heels twice, and then stood upright half out of the water, grinning like a Cheshire cat.”  The further idea of a speaking, mischievous, yet helpful cat may also have been inspired by Charles Perrault’s classic fairytale, “The Booted Cat,” or Puss in Boots.

Up on a Branch: The Cheshire-Cat is sitting in a horse chestnut tree—the very same one, in fact, that grows in the Dean’s Garden. The tree lives to this day.

Chapter VII

The Madness of Hares and Hatters: These characters were chosen by Carroll due to two sayings common in his time. “Mad as a March hare” refers to the wild, unpredictable behavior of mating hares in the spring. “Mad as a hatter” is a reference to the neurological damage caused by mercury poisoning. Mercury, before its full dangers were known, was used to cure felt for hat making. The Hare’s madness is hopefully temporary, but the Hatter is surely forever mad.

The March Hare Revealed: The March Hare is something of a country squire. He has a strong ego, and his house has been to built in his own image (complete with ears!). He distrusts the nobility of Wonderland, and is quick to look down on outsiders (especially the urbane and well-to-do Alice, quite out of her element).

A Portrayal of the Hatter: The Hatter is frequently misunderstood. In many theatrical releases, he is portrayed as a flitting, neurotic character. Carroll, however, seems to have intended the Hatter as a casual rustic man. For example, in a letter regarding the stage portrayal of Alice, he wrote, “… My second small request is that the Hatter may drawl, not hesitate, with long pauses between the words, as if half-asleep.”  The character then is not wild and frenetic, but rather slow and dreamy. Our impressions of the Hatter are probably informed more by Tenniel’s illustrations than by Carroll’s own wishes!

The Truth About Dormice: Real-life dormice are often sleepy, because they are nocturnal and hibernate in winter. When we consider the nature of the Mad Tea-Party, in which Father Time has caused an endless loop of daylight that might be in either March or May (or both at once!), we can easily see why the Dormouse is having difficulties with waking.

“Like a Tea Tray in the Sky”: This line of the Hatter’s improvisation refers to an amusing incident which happened in Carroll’s rooms. Helmut Gernsheim, in his excellent book Lewis Carroll: Photographer, tells the story this way: “At Christ Church the usually staid don relaxed in the company of little visitors to his large suite of rooms—a veritable children's paradise. There was a wonderful array of dolls and toys, a distorting mirror, a clockwork bear, and a flying bat made by him. This latter was the cause of much embarrassment when, on a hot summer afternoon, after circling the room several times, it suddenly flew out of the window and landed on a tea-tray which a college servant was just carrying across Tom Quad. Startled by this strange apparition, he dropped the tray with a great clatter.”

The Dormouse’s Story: As part of her dream, the Dormouse may well be drawing information for stories out of Alice’s mind. The three sisters, of course, are Lorina (Lorina Charlotte, or L.C., or Elsie), Alice (an anagram for Lacie), and Edith (Tillie, short for Matilda, which was Edith’s nickname).

The Treacle Well: The medicinal, or treacle well, exists at Saint Margaret’s Church, Binsey. This locale (quite close to Christ Church and the “Wonderland” region of Godstow) was frequented in medieval times by those who hoped to heal themselves with pure mineral waters. Alice certainly knew of the place, and was probably taken there by Carroll.

The Garden of Cool Fountains: This reference may be to the Christ Church Cathedral Garden, adjoining the Dean’s Garden. The Liddell girls were not allowed to enter the Cathedral Garden, but they could see it from their nursery window and always wondered about it.