Lewis Carroll signature

This specimen preserves both of the author’s names on two lines: ‘C.

Lewis Carroll autograph signature image
Vector tracing of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson’s dual ‘C. L. Dodgson [alias Lewis Carroll]’ autograph. Image credit: Lewis Carroll Created in vector format by Scewing · Public domain.

What does Lewis Carroll’s signature look like?

This specimen preserves both of the author’s names on two lines: ‘C. L. Dodgson’ above ‘[alias “Lewis Carroll”]’ enclosed in hand-drawn brackets. Tall looping capitals and 21 small enclosed loops give the two-line piece intricate detail.

Slant
+34°forward
Baseline
+2.5°rising
Width / height
3.52 : 1overall proportions
Opening height
1.47×opening versus body letters

Lewis Carroll signature and handwriting analysis

Lewis Carroll’s signature sample has 34° of forward slant, a rising baseline and 21 enclosed loops. Comparing autograph strokes, baseline angle (+2.5°), slant (+34°), opening ratio (1.47×) and enclosed loops (21) reveals how individual signature traits contrast with standard handwriting features. Use the layers to follow the writing line, letter band, slant and enclosed loops.

Slantforward
+34°
Baselinerising
+2.5°
Width / heightoverall proportions
3.52 : 1
Opening heightopening versus body letters
1.47×
Enclosed loopsclosed spaces in the image
21
Ink groupsmain disconnected groups
11
Ink densityinside the signature bounds
7.4%
Underlineno long lower flourish
None
Finish heightrelative to the letter body
+0.20×

Opening, letter body and finish

The opening stays near the height of the body letters. The opening-to-body ratio is 1.47×, while the whole image is 3.52 times as wide as it is tall. The rightmost ink finishes above the writing line; look at this ending separately from the slant of the letters themselves.

Loops and the lower flourish

The sample contains 21 enclosed loops and 11 main ink groups. The letterforms carry the main horizontal movement; there is no long lower underline detected beneath their band.

All 11 measured signature features

Slant

+34°
−450°+45Slant +34° from vertical+34° from vertical

Angle of the letter strokes from vertical. Positive angles lean right; negative angles lean left.

The signature has a forward slant (+34°). The blue-green guides show the lean of strokes across the name.

Baseline

+2.5°
Baseline +2.5 degrees from horizontalstartfinish+2.5° · dashed = level

Direction of the writing line from the beginning to the end of the signature.

The writing line rises (+2.5°). The red guide follows the base of the letters, separate from lower loops and flourishes.

Opening capital

1.5×
Opening height 1.5 times following lettersopeningbody1.5×1×

Height of the opening letter relative to the typical letters that follow. 1× means similar heights.

The opening stands 1.5 times as high as the following letters. The purple box marks its area; the dashed blue guide marks the letter-body band.

Enclosed loops

21
21 enclosed loops highlighted in the measured signature21 enclosed spaces

Closed spaces surrounded by ink, counted across the whole signature.

There are 21 enclosed loops in the sample. Orange outlines locate them. Compare their size and placement within the name.

Ink groups

11
11 connected ink groups; each circle represents one groupeach circle = one ink group11 groups in the sample

Separate connected areas of ink in the image. Dots or detached letters can form additional groups.

The signature contains 11 main ink groups. The visible ink is divided into separate shapes. Look at where those shapes join or separate.

Ink density

7%
7.4 percent of signature area filled with ink7.4% filled areagrid = 100% of signature area

Share of the signature’s enclosing rectangle occupied by ink.

Ink covers 7% of the measured signature area; the rest is open space. This describes how filled the shape is, rather than how hard the pen pressed.

Underline / flourish

None
Measured signature without a long lower underlineNo lower underline

Length of a lower underline or flourish compared with the full signature width.

No long lower underline is detected. The name is carried by the letterforms and their own lower strokes.

Finish height

+0.2×
Finish +0.2 typical letter heights from baseline1×baseline+0.2× · above / below line

Height of the rightmost ending above or below the baseline, in typical letter heights. Positive is above; negative is below.

The ending sits close to the writing line (+0.2 letter heights). The orange guide locates the finish relative to the red baseline.

Width / height

3.5 : 1
Signature ink width 1097 pixels and height 311 pixels1097 px wide × 311 px high

Full ink width divided by full ink height, including the signature’s tall and low strokes.

The shape is 3.5 times as wide as it is high. Its ink spans 1097 × 311 image pixels. Compare the horizontal spread with the vertical reach of the capitals and loops.

Ornamentation

4.8×
Stroke path 5296 pixels compared with 1097 pixel signature widthstroke path5,296 pxname width1097 pxpath is 4.8× the width

Total traced stroke length divided by signature width. More turns and retraced shapes add length.

The traced strokes total 5,296 pixels, about 4.8 times the signature’s width. Look for loops, turns and flourishes that add movement within that width.

Angularity

6.3
6.3 corners per 100 pixels of ink outline0510corners per 100 px of outline

Number of corners per 100 pixels of traced ink outline. Higher values indicate more frequent sharp turns.

The outline contains about 6.3 corners per 100 pixels. Inspect the turns in the pen-path layer and compare pointed changes of direction with rounded curves.

Lewis Carroll’s signature in graphology

Traditional graphology reads the bracketed dual signature and intricate looped capitals as a playful yet methodical separation between academic identity and literary invention.

Follow the forward-leaning strokes in this image alongside the smaller body letters. For another perspective on handwriting, the handwriting analysis tool brings slant, size and spacing into a full-page reading.

The signature has a forward slant (+34°). The writing line rises (+2.5°). The opening stands 1.5 times as high as the following letters. The ending sits close to the writing line (+0.2 letter heights).

Measured signature shape: opening, baseline, loops and finish
Opening, baseline, loops and finish in Lewis Carroll’s measured sample.

Slant

+34°

A forward lean is traditionally read as responsiveness and enthusiasm: movement toward people and goals.

Baseline

+2.5°

A rising line is traditionally read as optimism and drive.

Opening capital

1.5×

The opening introduces the name; its shape and proportion set the first visual emphasis.

Underline / flourish

None

Without a separate lower underline, the signature places its emphasis in the letters themselves.

Finish height

+0.2×

The finish stays near the line, closing the name within its main writing band.

Ornamentation

4.8×

The stroke path balances a plain name shape with some added movement.

Signatures with similar shapes

Compare these samples’ slant, proportions and letter rhythm with Lewis Carroll’s autograph.

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