Introducing Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland socks, The British Library x Peper Harow

Here at Peper Harow we take pride in all things British. That’s why we are delighted to be working in collaboration with The British Library on our new range of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Socks. Written by famed British author, poet, mathematician, and photographer Lewis Carroll and first published in 1865, this story still inspires creativity in children across the world today.

We have worked closely with the team at The British Library to put all of the fun and creativity of this classic fairy-tale into a range of stylish luxury socks, and we are very excited to share them with you.

Our new Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland line features four Iconic characters from the beloved novel, The Mad hatter, The White Rabbit, The Cheshire Cat, and the titular character of Alice herself.

The Mad Hatter is one of those characters that has had so many re-imaginings and iconic portrayals, each one as beloved as the next. Lewis Carroll grew up in Stockport, where hat making was a prominent trade, so the inspiration for this character may have been from people he knew in childhood. The Hatter appears in the story alongside the March Hair and the Dormouse. The Hatter’s backstory is an interesting one, he is stuck at an eternal tea party, since he tried to sing for the villain of the story, The Queen of Hearts, but she sentenced him to death for “murdering time”, the hatter escaped, but since then time has had a vendetta against the hatter and has kept him trapped at 6:00pm.

The White Rabbit is another iconic character to come out of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. This anthropomorphic rabbit is characterised by his smart dress and pocket watch (a fashion icon to many well-dressed British gentlemen). This adorable and beloved character serves as a narrative foil to the titular Alice, as he contrasts her youthful curiosity, energy and boldness with his own timid nature and pompous attitude.

The Cheshire Cat is a character now firmly a part of pop culture, being referenced in countless forms of media since his creation. This unsettling and off-putting cat is characterised by his too-large mischievous grin. The purpose of The Cheshire Cat in Carroll’s story, is to engage Alice in perplexing and philosophical conversation.

Alice is the hero and the protagonist of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. She is characterised as being, clever, curious, questioning of authority, and kind to every one of the strange people and creatures she meets during her time in Wonderland. She was named after and inspired by Alice Liddell, the daughter of Henry Liddell. Carroll invented the world of Wonderland in stories that he would tell to Alice and her sisters during boating trips. In adulthood, the real Alice served as a volunteer in the Red Cross during World War 1, for which she received a medal. After her husbands death in 1926, she sold her own copy of Alice’s Adventure’s Under Ground (Lewis Carroll’s original title for Alice’s Adventure’s in Wonderland) for £15,400 (or £1,100,00 in today’s money). The manuscript sat in Columbia University until 1945, when it was purchased by a consortium of American bibliophiles, who brought it back to Briton “In recognition of Brittan's courage in facing Hitler” and the manuscript is now held by The British Library.

If you like the look of any of these designs, and want to add some whimsy and imagination to your sock draw, all of these designs will be available in our online store from the 23rd of May, and select designs will be available from The British Library shop soon!