Isa Bowman (1874–1958) was an actress, a close friend of Lewis Carroll and author of a memoir about his life, The Story of Lewis Carroll, Told for Young People by the Real Alice in Wonderland.
Isa Bowman as the part of Alice in 1888
She met Carroll in 1886 when she played a small part in the stage version of Alice in Wonderland with Phoebe Carlo in the title role: she replaced Carlo as Alice in the 1888 revival.[1][2] She visited and stayed with him between the ages of fifteen and nineteen: Carroll described a visit in July 1888 in Isa's Visit to Oxford,[3][4][5][6] which she reprinted in her memoir.[7] Carroll introduced her to Ellen Terry,[8] who gave her elocution lessons.[9] Carroll dedicated his last novel Sylvie and Bruno to her in 1889: her name appears in a double acrostic poem in the introduction.[10][11][12]
She married the journalist George Reginald Bacchus in 1899.[13] In 1899-1900 Bacchus published a fictionalised version of her life in Society, a magazine he was editing.[14] The publisher Leonard Smithers then commissioned a pornographic version which was published as The Confessions of Nemesis Hunt (issued in three volumes 1902, 1903, 1906).[14][15][16][17][18][19]
Isa Bowman was the daughter of Charles Andrew Bowman (b. 1851), a music teacher,[20] and Helen Herd, née Holmes.[21] Her sisters, Empsie, Nellie (Mrs Spens) and Maggie (Mrs Tom Morton) Bowman were all actresses,[22][23] and also friends of Carroll.[7] According to Maggie's father-in-law, William Morton, the sisters were all actresses from a very early age. He said that Maggie had an amusing diary in rhyme written by Carroll about her visit to Oxford as a young child.[24]
Isa played a small part in the 1949 British film Vote for Huggett, together with her sisters Empsie and Nellie.[25]
^Hollingsworth, Cristopher (2009). Alice beyond wonderland: essays for the twenty-first century. University of Iowa Press. p. 163. ISBN978-1-58729-819-6.
^Bakewell, Michael (1996). Lewis Carroll: a biography. Heinemann. p. 287. ISBN0-434-04579-9.
^ abCohen, Morton Norton (1982). Lewis Carroll and Alice, 1832-1982. Pierpont Morgan Library. p. 96.
^Gardner, Martin (1996). The universe in a handkerchief: Lewis Carroll's mathematical recreations, games, puzzles, and word plays. Birkhäuser. p. 5. ISBN0-387-25641-5.
^Morton Norton Cohen, Roger Lancelyn Green, (1979) vol.2, p.710
^Tracy C. Davis, "The Actress in Victorian Pornography", Theatre Journal, Vol. 41, No. 3, Performance in Context (Oct., 1989), pp. 294-315 [1]
^Davis, Tracy C. (1991). Actresses as working women: their social identity in Victorian culture. Gender and performance. Routledge. pp. 145, 180, 183. ISBN0-415-05652-7.
^"Fringe Interview - Michael Maloney". Retrieved 8 August 2010.
Collingwood, Stuart Dodgson (1898). The Life and Letters of Lewis Carroll. T. Fisher Unwin.
Foulkes, Richard (2005). Lewis Carroll and the Victorian stage: theatricals in a quiet life. Ashgate Publishing. ISBN0-7546-0466-7.
Bowman, Isa (1899). The Story of Lewis Carroll: Told for Young People by the Real Alice in Wonderland. J H Dent & Co.
Moses, Belle (2009). Lewis Carroll in Wonderland and at Home: The Story of His Life. BiblioBazaar. ISBN978-1-103-29348-3.
Nelson, James G.; Mendes, Peter (2000). Publisher to the decadents: Leonard Smithers in the careers of Beardsley, Wilde, Dowson. Penn State series in the history of the book. Penn State Press. ISBN0-271-01974-3.
Cohen, Morton Norton; Lancelyn Green, Roger (1979). The letters of Lewis Carroll. Vol. 1. Oxford University Press. ISBN0-19-520090-X.
Cohen, Morton Norton; Lancelyn Green, Roger (1979). The Letters of Lewis Carroll: 1886-1898. Vol. 2. Macmillan. ISBN0-333-24283-1.
'Isa's Visit to Oxford' by Lewis Carroll, full text with annotations and illustrations at: Lewis Carroll Resources
December 17, 2023
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Isa Bowman 1874 1958 was an actress a close friend of Lewis Carroll and author of a memoir about his life The Story of Lewis Carroll Told for Young People by the Real Alice in Wonderland Isa Bowman as the part of Alice in 1888She met Carroll in 1886 when she played a small part in the stage version of Alice in Wonderland with Phoebe Carlo in the title role she replaced Carlo as Alice in the 1888 revival 1 2 She visited and stayed with him between the ages of fifteen and nineteen Carroll described a visit in July 1888 in Isa s Visit to Oxford 3 4 5 6 which she reprinted in her memoir 7 Carroll introduced her to Ellen Terry 8 who gave her elocution lessons 9 Carroll dedicated his last novel Sylvie and Bruno to her in 1889 her name appears in a double acrostic poem in the introduction 10 11 12 She married the journalist George Reginald Bacchus in 1899 13 In 1899 1900 Bacchus published a fictionalised version of her life in Society a magazine he was editing 14 The publisher Leonard Smithers then commissioned a pornographic version which was published as The Confessions of Nemesis Hunt issued in three volumes 1902 1903 1906 14 15 16 17 18 19 Isa Bowman was the daughter of Charles Andrew Bowman b 1851 a music teacher 20 and Helen Herd nee Holmes 21 Her sisters Empsie Nellie Mrs Spens and Maggie Mrs Tom Morton Bowman were all actresses 22 23 and also friends of Carroll 7 According to Maggie s father in law William Morton the sisters were all actresses from a very early age He said that Maggie had an amusing diary in rhyme written by Carroll about her visit to Oxford as a young child 24 Isa played a small part in the 1949 British film Vote for Huggett together with her sisters Empsie and Nellie 25 In popular culture editGyles Brandreth s play Wonderland about the relationship between Isa Bowman and Dodgson was performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2010 26 References edit Moses pp 244 247 Collingwood 1898 p 280 Foulkes 2005 p 135 Carroll Lewis 1954 The diaries of Lewis Carroll Opie Collection of Children s Literature Vol 2 Cassell p 557 Hollingsworth Cristopher 2009 Alice beyond wonderland essays for the twenty first century University of Iowa Press p 163 ISBN 978 1 58729 819 6 Bakewell Michael 1996 Lewis Carroll a biography Heinemann p 287 ISBN 0 434 04579 9 a b Cohen Morton Norton 1982 Lewis Carroll and Alice 1832 1982 Pierpont Morgan Library p 96 Foulkes 2005 p 103 Carpenter Angelica Shirley 2003 Lewis Carroll through the looking glass Twenty First Century Books p 103 ISBN 0 8225 0073 6 Collingwood 1898 p 403 Moses p 272 Gardner Martin 1996 The universe in a handkerchief Lewis Carroll s mathematical recreations games puzzles and word plays Birkhauser p 5 ISBN 0 387 25641 5 Morton Norton Cohen Roger Lancelyn Green 1979 vol 2 p 710 a b James G Nelson Peter Mendes 2000 p 291 James G Nelson Peter Mendes 2000 p 348 Frank A Hoffmann Analytical survey of Anglo American traditional erotica Bowling Green University Popular Press 1973 ISBN 0 87972 055 7 p 34 Tracy C Davis The Actress in Victorian Pornography Theatre Journal Vol 41 No 3 Performance in Context Oct 1989 pp 294 315 1 Davis Tracy C 1991 Actresses as working women their social identity in Victorian culture Gender and performance Routledge pp 145 180 183 ISBN 0 415 05652 7 Kristine Ottesen Garrigan Victorian scandals representations of gender and class Ohio University Press 1992 ISBN 0 8214 1019 9 pp 113 131 Foulkes 2005 p 67 Cohen Morton Norton 1989 Lewis Carroll interviews and recollections Macmillan pp 101 102 ISBN 0 333 41721 6 Cohen amp Lancelyn Green 1979 vol 1 p 710 Marriage of Maggie Bowman The Era 14 June 1902 p 11 Morton William 1934 I Remember A Feat of Memory Market place Hull Goddard Walker and Brown Ltd pp 127 128 Isa Bowman at IMDb Fringe Interview Michael Maloney Retrieved 8 August 2010 Collingwood Stuart Dodgson 1898 The Life and Letters of Lewis Carroll T Fisher Unwin Foulkes Richard 2005 Lewis Carroll and the Victorian stage theatricals in a quiet life Ashgate Publishing ISBN 0 7546 0466 7 Bowman Isa 1899 The Story of Lewis Carroll Told for Young People by the Real Alice in Wonderland J H Dent amp Co Moses Belle 2009 Lewis Carroll in Wonderland and at Home The Story of His Life BiblioBazaar ISBN 978 1 103 29348 3 Nelson James G Mendes Peter 2000 Publisher to the decadents Leonard Smithers in the careers of Beardsley Wilde Dowson Penn State series in the history of the book Penn State Press ISBN 0 271 01974 3 Cohen Morton Norton Lancelyn Green Roger 1979 The letters of Lewis Carroll Vol 1 Oxford University Press ISBN 0 19 520090 X Cohen Morton Norton Lancelyn Green Roger 1979 The Letters of Lewis Carroll 1886 1898 Vol 2 Macmillan ISBN 0 333 24283 1 External links editWorks by Isa Bowman at Project Gutenberg Works by or about Isa Bowman at Internet Archive Isa s Visit to Oxford by Lewis Carroll full text with annotations and illustrations at Lewis Carroll Resources Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Isa Bowman amp oldid 1035359400, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
