1898 First Edition - Heroes of Chivalry and Romance Illustrated by George Morrow
Author: Rev. A. J. Church. Illustrated by George Morrow.
Title: Heroes of Chivalry and Romance.
Publisher: London: Seeley and Co. Limited, 38 Great Russell Street, 1898. First Edition
Language: Text in English.
Size: 8 x 5.5 inches
Pages: vii + 342 pages+Publisher's catalogue.
Binding: Attractive and very good original blue pictorial cloth binding, richly decorated in gilt to the front cover and spine with a full-length armored knight motif (hinges fine, overall slightly worn and scuffed - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. A very well-preserved example of late-Victorian craftsmanship.
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean, rare light foxing or staining - as shown). A Sheffield School Board prize plate dated 1900 is affixed to the front pastedown, offering charming provenance.
Illustrations: Complete with eight color plates by George Morrow, including the striking frontispiece “How They Carried Scyld to the Ship.”
Estimate: (USD 200 – 250).
The book: A beautifully illustrated late-Victorian First Edition of Heroes of Chivalry and Romance (1898) by the Reverend A. J. Church, presenting literary retellings of the great heroic sagas of Europe — Beowulf, King Arthur and the Round Table, and The Treasure of the Nibelungs.
Blending legend, history, and moral narrative, Church brings to life the ideals of bravery, loyalty, and sacrifice that shaped medieval imagination. The colored illustrations by George Morrow capture the vigor and pageantry of these timeless tales, from the slaying of Grendel to the tragic fall of Siegfried.
A richly produced Seeley edition, emblematic of the publisher’s commitment to educational yet artistically refined works for young readers of the fin de siècle.
The author: Rev. Alfred John Church (1829–1912) was a British classical scholar and prolific writer, celebrated for his accessible retellings of Greek, Roman, and medieval literature. A professor of Latin at University College, London, he devoted much of his career to introducing ancient and heroic tales to younger audiences through eloquent, faithful adaptations such as Stories from Homer, The Count of the Saxon Shore, and Stories from English History.
The illustrator: George Morrow (1869–1955) was an Irish artist and illustrator renowned for his narrative energy and wit. His work, marked by fluid linework and expressive color, graced numerous literary and periodical publications. In Heroes of Chivalry and Romance, Morrow’s vivid compositions blend Pre-Raphaelite influence with early Art Nouveau sensibilities, heightening the drama and romantic grandeur of Church’s tales.