1909 Rare Book - Stories of King Arthur and His Knights by U. Waldo Cutler
An attractive early twentieth-century illustrated edition of U. Waldo Cutler’s retelling of the Arthurian legends, bearing both 1909 and 1910 title pages, handsomely presented in an elaborate gilt-decorated binding and complete with all sixteen full-page plates.
Author: U. Waldo Cutler.
Title: Stories of King Arthur and His Knights. Retold from Malory’s “Morte Darthur.”
Publisher: London, George G. Harrap & Co., 1909-1910. The “Told Through the Ages” series title page is dated MCMIX (1909), while the separate title page for Stories of King Arthur and His Knights is dated 1910.
Edition: Early illustrated edition, bearing both 1909 and 1910 publication dates. First thus.
Language: Text in English.
Pages: xix-236 pages.
Size: 7.5" x 5.5".
Binding: Very good dark green publisher’s binding, richly decorated in gilt with an elaborate floral and foliate border to the front board and gilt decoration and lettering to the spine. Binding firm and attractive with only light wear consistent with age, as shown. Upper edge gilt. Protected in a removable mylar cover.
Content: Very good content, clean and firmly bound, with light scattered foxing to some pages, as shown. Previous owner’s name written on the front free endpaper. Toning to the last page, as shown.
Illustrations: Complete with all 16 black-and-white full-page illustrations, including the frontispiece of Guenever and other scenes and figures from the Arthurian legends.
Estimate: $200–250 USD.
The book:
Stories of King Arthur and His Knights presents U. Waldo Cutler’s accessible retelling of the great Arthurian cycle, drawn principally from Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte Darthur. The narrative follows Arthur from his mysterious birth and accession to the throne through the adventures of the Round Table, including Merlin, Morgan le Fay, Sir Lancelot, Sir Galahad, the quest for the Holy Grail and the tragic closing chapters of Arthur’s reign.
This attractive George G. Harrap edition is particularly interesting bibliographically, carrying a 1909 “Told Through the Ages” series title page followed by a separate title page dated 1910 for Stories of King Arthur and His Knights. With its elaborate gilt-decorated binding and sixteen full-page illustrations, it is a handsome Edwardian presentation of the Arthurian legends.
The author:
U. Waldo Cutler was an American writer and editor best remembered for his adaptations of medieval and legendary literature for younger and general readers. His Stories of King Arthur and His Knights became one of his most enduring works, presenting Malory’s extensive Arthurian narrative in a more approachable form while preserving its principal characters, adventures and dramatic themes.
Cutler’s retelling helped introduce generations of readers to King Arthur, Excalibur, Camelot, the Knights of the Round Table and the quest for the Holy Grail, and remains an appealing example of the early twentieth-century revival of interest in medieval romance and Arthurian legend.