1900 Rare Book set bound by Bayntun-Riviere - Le Morte Darthur, King Arthur and of His Noble Knights of the Round Table.

 

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Author: Malory, Sir Thomas.
Title: Le Morte Darthur: Sir Thomas Malory's Book of King Arthur and of His Noble Knights of the Round Table.
Publisher: London: Macmillan and Co., 1900.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 9 " X 6 ".
Pages: xxxviii-439, xix-531 pages.
Binding: Attractive and very good, near fine binding, finely bound by Bayntun-Riviere in half red morocco leather, the spine hand-tooled in gilt, upper edge gilt (hinges fine, overall slightly worn and scuffed - as shown, slight discoloration to the very bottom of the leather covering the front board - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. A very beautiful binding!
Content: Very good, near fine, content (bright, tight and clean, rare light foxing, nice ex-libris of  a previous owner - Horace N Holbrook- on first free endpaper - as shown). 

Estimate: (USD 500 - USD 650)

The book set: Attractive edition and scarce in a beautiful Bayntun-Riviere binding of Le Morte d'Arthur (originally spelled Le Morte Darthur, Middle French for "The Death of Arthur") -a reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of existing tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin, and the Knights of the Round Table. Malory interpreted existing French and English stories about these figures and adds original material (e.g., the Gareth story). Malory's actual title for the work was The Whole Book of King Arthur and His Noble Knights of the Round Table (The Hoole Book of Kyng Arthur and of His Noble Knyghtes of The Rounde Table), but after Malory's death the publisher changed the title to that commonly known today, which originally only referred to the final volume of the work.

The author: Sir Thomas Malory (c. 1415 – 14 March 1471) was an English writer, the author or compiler of Le Morte d'Arthur (originally titled The Whole Book of King Arthur and His Noble Knights of the Round Table). Since the late 19th century, he has generally been identified as Sir Thomas Malory of Newbold Revel in Warwickshire. Occasionally, other candidates are put forward for authorship of Le Morte d'Arthur.

The Binder: George Bayntun (4 August 1873 - September 1940) was an English bookseller, bookbinder, and collector. George Bayntun was born and lived in Bath, Somerset, England where he served a book-binding apprenticeship before starting his own book-binding business in Northumberland Place in 1894. He took on a number of London binders in order to raise the standard of craftsmanship in his own bindery and soon afterward moved the business into larger premises on Walcot Street in Bath. In 1920, he purchased the bindery business of George Gregory, and in 1939, the Bayntun and Rivière binderies were incorporated into a new set of premises on Manvers Street in Bath, from where the business still operates today.