Carroll wrote about the outing that occasioned the first telling of “Alice’s Adventures” in a characteristically brief diary entry
July 4 1862.
https://www.themorgan.org/exhibitions/online/alice/7
[Entry begins on right-hand page:]
July 4 (F) Atkinson brought over to
my rooms some friends of his, a Mrs.
& Miss Peters, of whom I took photographs,
& who afterwards looked over my albums
& staid to lunch. They then went off
to the Museum, & Duckworth & I
made an expedition up the river to
Godstow with the 3 Liddells: we
had tea on the bank there, & did
not reach Ch. Ch. Again till ¼
past 8, when we took them on to
my rooms to see my collection of
micro-photographs, & restored them to
the Deanery just before 9
———————————————————-
July 5 (Sat.) Left, with Atkinson,
for London at 9.. 2, meeting at the
station the LIddells, who went along by the
same train. We reached 4, Alfred
Place about 11, & found Aunt [Lucy, Frances],
& [Elizabeth] there, & took the 2 last to see
Marochetti’s studio. After luncheon
Atkinson left, & we visited the Inter-
-national Bazaar.
[Carroll’s addition to the July 4 entry, on the left-hand page:]
On which occasion I told
them the fairy-tale of “Alice’s
Adventures Under Ground,” which I
undertook to write out for Alice,
& which is now finished (as to the
text) though the pictures are not
yet nearly done—Feb. 10. 1863
nor yet—Mar. 12. 1864.
“Alice’s Hour in Elfland”? June 9/64.
“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”? June 28.