1912 First Edition - Tennyson's GUINEVERE by Pre-Raphaelite Florence Harrison
Author: Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Illustrated by Florence Harrison.
Title: Guinevere and Other Poems.
Publisher: London, Glasgow & Bombay, Blackie & Son Ltd., 1912. First Illustrated Edition by Florence Harrison.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 10" x 7".
Pages: xiv-156 pages.
Binding: Attractive and very good original publisher’s gilt-decorated brown cloth binding, with an elaborate Art Nouveau design by Florence Harrison to the upper cover and spine (hinges fine, overall slightly worn and scuffed - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. Upper edge gilt.
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean, some light scattered foxing throughout mainly on the text pages - as shown, with a neat contemporary gift inscription dated 1918 on the first blank page - as shown).
Illustrations: Complete with 24 exquisite tissue-guarded tipped-in color plates mounted on card, 12 full-page black-and-white illustrations, and numerous decorative line drawings throughout by Florence Harrison. All plates are present and in very good condition.
Estimate: (USD 500 – 700).
The book: This is the rare 1912 first illustrated edition by Florence Harrison of Guinevere and Other Poems by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, a lavish production by Blackie & Son at the height of the Edwardian illustrated gift-book movement. With its profusion of tipped-in color plates and decorative drawings, the volume embodies the romantic and medievalist revival in English book art. Copies complete with all 24 color plates, tissue guards, and additional illustrations, as here, are increasingly scarce, particularly in the original gilt-stamped cloth.
The author: Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–1892) was Poet Laureate of Great Britain and Ireland during much of Queen Victoria’s reign and remains one of the most beloved poets in English literature. His Idylls of the King and other Arthurian works re-shaped medieval legend for the 19th century, blending romantic narrative with moral reflection.
The illustrator: Florence Susan Harrison (1877–1955) was one of the foremost female illustrators of the Pre-Raphaelite and Art Nouveau tradition. Her work for Blackie & Son, especially her illustrations to Christina Rossetti and Tennyson, placed her among the most important book artists of the Edwardian period. With her flowing figures, ornate symbolism, and jewel-like palette, she captured the ethereal and romantic qualities of poetry, making her illustrated books highly sought after by collectors today.