Illuminated manuscript on vellum. 20 leaves plus 2 blank vellum leaves at front and rear, the initial and terminal blanks backed with green moire silk. 24x18 cm (9½x7¼"). Finely bound by Sangorski and Sutcliffe in full brown morocco with onlay green and black elaborate Celtic style design, gilt-tooled patterns and borders, spine with raised bands, compartments decoratively lettered and tooled in gilt. Wide brown morocco dentelles with gilt rules, small circular green morocco onlays, bordering full green morocco. Moire silk endleaves, all edges gilt. Stamp-signed on lower turn-in: Illuminated and bound by Sangorski and Sutcliffe, London.
Written or decorated on 39 pages, including colophon. Calligraphed in black script, with some initial letters or words in red, with numerous initials elaborately decorated in a variety of colors. Title-page with full-color illustration, red lettering, surrounded by an illuminated border in gilt and other colors. The following page, being the first page of the prelude, printed in various colors with illuminated initial and border. Glassine guards are placed between pages. Colophon reads: "This copy of The Vision of Sir Launfal by James Russell Lowell has been designed, written out, illuminated, and bound by F. Sangorski and G. Sutcliffe."
Alberto Sangorski (1862-1932) was the eldest son of six children, and was born in London. When Francis Sangorski, one of Alberto's brothers, began business as a bookbinder, Alberto was a frequent visitor to the bindery. Francis and his partner George Sutcliffe had trained at the London County Council School of Arts and Crafts (later known as the Central School and now Central St Martin's) and their workshop was less than a few minutes walk from the college. Francis returned to college as an evening class student to study writing and illuminating under Edward Johnston. Begining about 1905, Alberto devoted himself to making writing and illuminating his sole vocation until his death in 1932. James Russell Lowell belongs to the group of writers called the Fireside Poets, or “schoolroom” poets, known for their conservative, traditional forms; strict attention to rhyme and meter; and moral, religious, and political themes. Lowell’s works, particularly the Arthurian tale The Vision of Sir Launfal, were frequently used as school texts.
Condition:
Rubbing to top and bottom edges, front joint cracked with front board a bit loose but holding, rear joint starting just a bit at head; front endpaper with small abraded area with loss to silk, minuscule chips to silk at edges, faded ownership signature and chop stamps on blank page at front, faint spotting and light soiling to some margins.