Down the Rabbit Hole: Collecting Alice in Wonderland

As a kid, Disney’s Alice in Wonderland felt like pure magic. It was a bright, bizarre world where logic twisted itself into knots, animals held conversations, and falling down a rabbit hole seemed like the greatest adventure imaginable. I experienced it with the wide-eyed innocence only childhood can provide. Years later, in college, that innocence took a bit of a beating when professors started dissecting the story layer by layer. Suddenly, Alice was filled with symbolism, satire, Victorian social commentary, and psychological interpretations I had never considered. It was fascinating to discover how much was hiding beneath the surface, but part of me still missed the simple wonder of that first trip through Wonderland.

That nostalgia is exactly why Down the Rabbit Hole: Collecting Alice in Wonderland by Matt Crandall has landed firmly on my wish list. From everything I have read online, this looks like the kind of book that Alice fans and Disney collectors are going to treasure. The book explores the enormous world of merchandise and promotional material inspired by Disney’s animated Alice in Wonderland, documenting decades of collectibles that grew out of the beloved film.

Featuring a foreword by Brian Sibley and cover art by Kevin Kidney, the book reportedly contains more than 3,000 images showcasing everything from toys and books to posters, advertising pieces, rare promotional items, and other curious bits of Wonderland history. If the previews are any indication, it looks less like a traditional reference book and more like a visual journey through one of Disney’s most imaginative properties.

Released to coincide with the 75th anniversary of Disney’s Alice in Wonderland, this is one title I am hoping to add to my collection as soon as it is available. Something is appealing about seeing how a single animated film inspired generations of merchandise, artwork, and memorabilia. If the book is as good as early reactions suggest, it may be the closest thing to tumbling down the rabbit hole again, except this time the adventure is through decades of Disney history and collecting nostalgia.