1917 First Rackham Illustrated Edition
THE ROMANCE OF KING ARTHUR AND HIS KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE
By Alfred W. Pollard
KEY DETAILS
Condition: Very Good
Format: Hardcover, Octavo (Standard) (8vo 6 × 9 in 152 × 229 mm )
Note: Binding/size selection follows standard bibliographic conventions and is approximate; exact measurements may vary.
Published By: Macmillan and Co., Limited, St. Martin’s Street, London, 1917
Language: English
Illustrated By: Arthur Rackham
Collation: xxiv, 509, [1] pp.; 16 full-page colour plates with captioned tissue guards as called for; 7 full-page black-and-white illustrations; numerous illustrations in the text.
Dust Jacket: None, as issued
SKU: BTETM0002213
Shipping Info: Approximate Package Dimensions H: 12.5, L: 30, W: 25 (Units: cm), W: 2Kg
Tracked Shipping, Insurance Coverage as per Customer Request
DESCRIPTION
The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table
Abridged from Malory's Morte d'Arthur
A handsome first Rackham illustrated edition of The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table, published by Macmillan in London in 1917 and presenting Alfred W. Pollard’s abridgement of Sir Thomas Malory’s Morte D’Arthur.
One of Arthur Rackham’s major illustrated books from the Golden Age of British book illustration, the volume contains sixteen full-page colour plates together with seven full-page illustrations in black and white and numerous further line drawings, headpieces and decorative illustrations throughout the text.
Bound in the publisher’s original dark blue cloth, elaborately blocked in gilt to the upper board with Rackham’s mounted knight design and with gilt lettering and decoration to the spine. The front-board gilt remains particularly attractive, while the colour plates retain the subdued palette and fine penwork characteristic of Rackham’s mature style.
CONDITION, COLLATION & COPY NOTES
COLLATION
xxiv, 509, [1] pp.; 16 full-page colour plates with captioned tissue guards as called for; 7 full-page black-and-white illustrations; numerous illustrations in the text.
Bound in the publisher’s original dark blue gilt-decorated cloth. The upper board retains strong gilt lettering and pictorial decoration. Binding with general shelf wear and rubbing, including wear to the corners and extremities, surface scuffing and marking to the cloth, and some fading and dulling to the spine. The head and tail of the spine are bumped and rubbed, with fraying and minor cloth loss at the spine ends, more noticeable at the head.
Front pastedown with an earlier presentation inscription mounted to the sheet. Front free endpaper with a later ownership inscription dated 1962, together with old pencil bookseller or ownership notations. Endpapers with some age-toning, spotting and marks consistent with use.
Internally the volume presents well overall. The text leaves shown are generally clean and bright for the period, with occasional light spotting and age-related marks. The colour plates retain good colour and definition.
Complete as called for, with sixteen full-page colour plates, including the frontispiece, each retaining its original captioned tissue guard, together with seven full-page black-and-white illustrations and numerous illustrations throughout the text, all by Arthur Rackham.
A sound and attractive example of one of Rackham’s most desirable Arthurian works, retaining the original decorative publisher’s binding and its full complement of plates and captioned tissue guards.
Please see Photos as part of condition report.
REFERENCES
Latimore & Haskell, Arthur Rackham: A Bibliography, pp. 47–48
Riall, A New Bibliography of Arthur Rackham, p. 130
Hudson, Arthur Rackham: His Life and Work, p. 169.
SYNOPSIS
Drawn from Sir Thomas Malory’s great fifteenth-century Arthurian compilation Le Morte D’Arthur, Alfred W. Pollard’s abridgement follows the rise and fall of King Arthur and the fellowship of the Round Table.
The narrative encompasses Arthur’s miraculous accession and the drawing of Excalibur; Merlin and Nimue; the adventures of Sir Lancelot, Sir Tristram and Sir Gareth; the Questing Beast; the love of Tristram and Isoud; the quest for the Holy Grail; the tragedy of Lancelot and Guenevere; and the final conflict between Arthur and Mordred.
Rackham’s illustrations bring Malory’s world vividly to life. The edition contains sixteen full-page colour plates, seven full-page black-and-white illustrations and numerous drawings throughout the text, ranging from dramatic battle scenes and encounters with dragons to quieter episodes of magic, romance and courtly adventure.
AUTHOR BIO
Alfred William Pollard, FBA (1859–1944) was one of the leading English bibliographers of his generation and an influential scholar of early printed books and English literature. Closely associated with the British Museum, where he worked for much of his career, Pollard played an important role in establishing modern principles of analytical bibliography.
His editorial and bibliographical work ranged widely across medieval and early modern literature. Among his publications were editions of Chaucer, Sir Philip Sidney and fifteenth-century poetry and prose, together with important studies of Shakespearean printing and bibliography. His work on Malory included a four-volume edition of Le Morte Darthur published in 1910–11.
For the present volume Pollard condensed Malory’s sprawling Arthurian narrative into a more accessible continuous account while retaining much of the character and language of the original.
ILLUSTRATOR
Arthur Rackham
Arthur Rackham RWS (1867–1939) was one of the foremost illustrators of the Golden Age of British book illustration. Celebrated for the distinctive combination of intricate pen-and-ink linework with delicate washes of colour, Rackham developed an immediately recognisable visual language of enchanted forests, grotesques, fairies, knights and fantastical landscapes.
His reputation was firmly established through such landmark illustrated books as Rip Van Winkle, Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Undine, Aesop’s Fables and the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm.
The Romance of King Arthur, published in 1917, provided Rackham with particularly congenial material: medieval chivalry, enchantment, dragons, quests and supernatural incident. His illustrations combine dramatic narrative compositions with the finely observed detail and atmospheric colouring for which his work is renowned.
1917 First Rackham Illustrated Edition
THE ROMANCE OF KING ARTHUR AND HIS KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE
By Alfred W. Pollard
KEY DETAILS
Condition: Very Good
Format: Hardcover, Octavo (Standard) (8vo 6 × 9 in 152 × 229 mm )
Note: Binding/size selection follows standard bibliographic conventions and is approximate; exact measurements may vary.
Published By: Macmillan and Co., Limited, St. Martin’s Street, London, 1917
Language: English
Illustrated By: Arthur Rackham
Collation: xxiv, 509, [1] pp.; 16 full-page colour plates with captioned tissue guards as called for; 7 full-page black-and-white illustrations; numerous illustrations in the text.
Dust Jacket: None, as issued
SKU: BTETM0002213
Shipping Info: Approximate Package Dimensions H: 12.5, L: 30, W: 25 (Units: cm), W: 2Kg
Tracked Shipping, Insurance Coverage as per Customer Request
DESCRIPTION
The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table
Abridged from Malory's Morte d'Arthur
A handsome first Rackham illustrated edition of The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table, published by Macmillan in London in 1917 and presenting Alfred W. Pollard’s abridgement of Sir Thomas Malory’s Morte D’Arthur.
One of Arthur Rackham’s major illustrated books from the Golden Age of British book illustration, the volume contains sixteen full-page colour plates together with seven full-page illustrations in black and white and numerous further line drawings, headpieces and decorative illustrations throughout the text.
Bound in the publisher’s original dark blue cloth, elaborately blocked in gilt to the upper board with Rackham’s mounted knight design and with gilt lettering and decoration to the spine. The front-board gilt remains particularly attractive, while the colour plates retain the subdued palette and fine penwork characteristic of Rackham’s mature style.
CONDITION, COLLATION & COPY NOTES
COLLATION
xxiv, 509, [1] pp.; 16 full-page colour plates with captioned tissue guards as called for; 7 full-page black-and-white illustrations; numerous illustrations in the text.
Bound in the publisher’s original dark blue gilt-decorated cloth. The upper board retains strong gilt lettering and pictorial decoration. Binding with general shelf wear and rubbing, including wear to the corners and extremities, surface scuffing and marking to the cloth, and some fading and dulling to the spine. The head and tail of the spine are bumped and rubbed, with fraying and minor cloth loss at the spine ends, more noticeable at the head.
Front pastedown with an earlier presentation inscription mounted to the sheet. Front free endpaper with a later ownership inscription dated 1962, together with old pencil bookseller or ownership notations. Endpapers with some age-toning, spotting and marks consistent with use.
Internally the volume presents well overall. The text leaves shown are generally clean and bright for the period, with occasional light spotting and age-related marks. The colour plates retain good colour and definition.
Complete as called for, with sixteen full-page colour plates, including the frontispiece, each retaining its original captioned tissue guard, together with seven full-page black-and-white illustrations and numerous illustrations throughout the text, all by Arthur Rackham.
A sound and attractive example of one of Rackham’s most desirable Arthurian works, retaining the original decorative publisher’s binding and its full complement of plates and captioned tissue guards.
Please see Photos as part of condition report.
REFERENCES
Latimore & Haskell, Arthur Rackham: A Bibliography, pp. 47–48
Riall, A New Bibliography of Arthur Rackham, p. 130
Hudson, Arthur Rackham: His Life and Work, p. 169.
SYNOPSIS
Drawn from Sir Thomas Malory’s great fifteenth-century Arthurian compilation Le Morte D’Arthur, Alfred W. Pollard’s abridgement follows the rise and fall of King Arthur and the fellowship of the Round Table.
The narrative encompasses Arthur’s miraculous accession and the drawing of Excalibur; Merlin and Nimue; the adventures of Sir Lancelot, Sir Tristram and Sir Gareth; the Questing Beast; the love of Tristram and Isoud; the quest for the Holy Grail; the tragedy of Lancelot and Guenevere; and the final conflict between Arthur and Mordred.
Rackham’s illustrations bring Malory’s world vividly to life. The edition contains sixteen full-page colour plates, seven full-page black-and-white illustrations and numerous drawings throughout the text, ranging from dramatic battle scenes and encounters with dragons to quieter episodes of magic, romance and courtly adventure.
AUTHOR BIO
Alfred William Pollard, FBA (1859–1944) was one of the leading English bibliographers of his generation and an influential scholar of early printed books and English literature. Closely associated with the British Museum, where he worked for much of his career, Pollard played an important role in establishing modern principles of analytical bibliography.
His editorial and bibliographical work ranged widely across medieval and early modern literature. Among his publications were editions of Chaucer, Sir Philip Sidney and fifteenth-century poetry and prose, together with important studies of Shakespearean printing and bibliography. His work on Malory included a four-volume edition of Le Morte Darthur published in 1910–11.
For the present volume Pollard condensed Malory’s sprawling Arthurian narrative into a more accessible continuous account while retaining much of the character and language of the original.
ILLUSTRATOR
Arthur Rackham
Arthur Rackham RWS (1867–1939) was one of the foremost illustrators of the Golden Age of British book illustration. Celebrated for the distinctive combination of intricate pen-and-ink linework with delicate washes of colour, Rackham developed an immediately recognisable visual language of enchanted forests, grotesques, fairies, knights and fantastical landscapes.
His reputation was firmly established through such landmark illustrated books as Rip Van Winkle, Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Undine, Aesop’s Fables and the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm.
The Romance of King Arthur, published in 1917, provided Rackham with particularly congenial material: medieval chivalry, enchantment, dragons, quests and supernatural incident. His illustrations combine dramatic narrative compositions with the finely observed detail and atmospheric colouring for which his work is renowned.
Image 1 of 19
Image 2 of 19
Image 3 of 19
Image 4 of 19
Image 5 of 19
Image 6 of 19
Image 7 of 19
Image 8 of 19
Image 9 of 19
Image 10 of 19
Image 11 of 19
Image 12 of 19
Image 13 of 19
Image 14 of 19
Image 15 of 19
Image 16 of 19
Image 17 of 19
Image 18 of 19
Image 19 of 19
