Born Charles Lutwidge Dodgson in Daresbury, Cheshire, England. He studied at Oxford, took orders in 1861, and became a lecturer in mathematics (1855--81). He was also a writer and photographer, known for his portraits, especially those of children. Published under the name Lewis Carroll, his nursery tales, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and its sequel, Through the Looking-Glass, quickly became classics. "Alice', to whom the story was originally related during boating excursions, was the second daughter of Henry George Liddell, the head of his Oxford college. The stories were written down at her request.

Along with his humorous verse, such as "The Hunting of the Snark', "The Walrus and the Carpenter' and "Jabberwocky', he also wrote several mathematical works. He was a lover of puzzles and games.