HASSALL, Joan. HAGUE & GILL. MALORY, Sir Thomas. ~ Lancelot and Elaine.
Being the eighth to twentieth chapters of the eighteenth book of Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte D’Arthur. 5 wood engravings by Joan Hassall. Printed in red and black. 12mo., bound for George Sims, the bookseller, sewn but not bound in a Curwen Press decorated paper wrapper with the original printed paper label on upper cover, fore and lower edges uncut, slight fading to spine, otherwise a very good copy.
Very scarce. Although the colophon states that the book was limited to 200 copies, in fact far fewer were finished, Chambers suggests only about 20 or 25 copies (probably several more) were given away or sold as loose sheets. This was because René Hague was not happy with the printing of the headings in red.
Hassall’s engravings, 3 of which are vignettes, are exquisite examples of her work.