1927 First Edition illustrated by Frank Godwin - King Arthur and His Knights

An attractive and richly illustrated 1927 edition of the Arthurian legends, beautifully presented in its elaborate original pictorial binding and enhanced by Frank Godwin’s dramatic medieval illustrations.

Author: Elizabeth Lodor Merchant, based on Le Morte d’Arthur of Sir Thomas Malory. Illustrated by Frank Godwin.
Title: King Arthur and His Knights.
Publisher: Philadelphia, The John C. Winston Company, 1927.
Edition: First edition of this Merchant and Godwin adaptation illustrated by Frank Godwin. 
Language: English.
Pages: 260 pages.
Size: 9 x 7 inches.
Binding: Very good original dark cloth binding with a magnificent pictorial front board, richly decorated in gilt and color and incorporating a large mounted illustration by Frank Godwin. Gilt title and ornamental decoration continue to the spine. Minor rubbing and gentle wear to the extremities, with some mellowing to the spine decoration, but the boards remain firm and remarkably attractive. A handsome example of this elaborate publisher’s binding. Protected in a removable mylar cover. 
Content: Very good. Firm, clean and well preserved throughout, with only the expected light age-toning and occasional minor signs of use. Nice ex libris on the first endpaper as shown. The text block remains tight and the pages retain a pleasing freshness, with the illustrated leaves particularly well preserved.
Illustrations: Complete with 17 full-page illustrations by Frank Godwin, including four striking illustrations in color and thirteen in black and white. Godwin’s vigorous line work, dramatic compositions and richly colored medieval scenes give the volume much of its visual character and make this edition especially appealing to collectors of illustrated Arthuriana.

Estimate: USD 135–150.

The book: King Arthur and His Knights presents the great cycle of Arthurian legend for younger readers, drawing upon Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur. The familiar world of Merlin, Excalibur, the Lady of the Lake, Sir Lancelot, Sir Tristram, the Round Table, the Grail and the final journey toward Avalon is retold in accessible narrative form while preserving the romance, mystery and heroism that have made the legends enduring fixtures of Western literature.

Published by the John C. Winston Company in 1927, this edition belongs to the golden age of lavishly produced American children’s classics. Its large format, elaborate pictorial binding and extensive suite of illustrations by Frank Godwin give it considerably more presence than later utilitarian editions and make it a particularly attractive representation of the Arthurian tradition.

The compiler and illustrator: Elizabeth Lodor Merchant prepared this adaptation from the Arthurian material associated with Sir Thomas Malory, shaping the sprawling medieval cycle into a coherent narrative for younger readers. Her version preserves many of the best-known episodes and characters while presenting them in a straightforward storytelling style suited to an early twentieth-century audience.

Frank Godwin (1889–1959) was an American illustrator and comic artist admired for his fluent draftsmanship, strong compositions and facility with historical subjects. His book illustrations included such adventure classics as King Arthur and His Knights, Treasure Island, Kidnapped, Robinson Crusoe and Robin Hood. His energetic black-and-white drawings and atmospheric color work are especially well matched to the pageantry, combat and romance of the Arthurian legends.