Lewis Carroll collection given to his Oxford college in surprise US donation

More than 100 photos taken by Carroll himself – such as the self-portrait above – have been donated to Christ Church, Oxford, where he spent his professional life. Photograph: Christ Church/University of Oxford

Thousands of letters, photographs, illustrations and books from one of the world’s largest private Lewis Carroll collections have been donated to the UK out of the blue by an American philanthropist.

The extraordinary gift has been made to Christ Church, University of Oxford, where Carroll lectured and where he met Alice Liddell, the inspiration for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, which celebrates its 160th anniversary this year.