When Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was published in 1865
it featured 42 wood engraved illustrations by Sir John Tenniel. Among them were
depictions of the Mad Hatter in a checkered waistcoat and trousers, a high
collar and a polka-dot bow tie. On his head is an enormous hat with a sign attached
reading, “In this Style 10/6.” Presumably this is a price tag showing the cost
in pre-decimal British money as ten shillings and six pence. In 1986 a group of
computer technicians in Boulder, Colorado set aside the sixth of October (10/6)
as National Mad Hatter Day. You might celebrate by wearing an outlandish hat
today. I wish I could spend the day riding the spinning teacups in the Mad Tea
Party at Disneyland or the Magic Kingdom. But as I’m 600 miles from one and
2300 miles from the other, I’ll probably just have a cup of chamomile. And a
biscuit.
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