Julia Arnold as an Allegory of Spring, circa 1870-71

A previous owner noted that 'The Arnold sisters described their friendship with Carroll as a life-giving oasis in an otherwise drab childhood. In addition, their father was so short of money at the time that they and their youngest sister could never go out to parties together, since they had but one pair of boots between them..In any event, the friendship lasted for many years, with Carroll inventing a word game to relieve their boredom, duly published in 1879 with a dedication to Julia and Edith'.

Gernsheim writes "Lewis Carroll's gift for entertaining children, which was to play such an important part in his photography, was already highly developed during his own childhood. At Croft Rectory, Yorkshire, he found plenty of opportunity for inventing amusements for his seven sisters and three brothers.....Lewis Carroll would take a child on his knee and tell her fascinating tales, illustrating them with comic drawings on scraps of paper. When she was thoroughly happy and amused by his stories, he would pose her for a photograph before the mood had passed".