[RACKHAM, Arthur (1867-1939), illustrator]. -- MALORY, Thomas, Sir. The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table. London: Macmillan and Co., 1917.

Small 4to. 16 full-page color illustrations, 7 full-page black and white illustrations, and over 60 in-text illustrations after Rackham. (Very light spotting to title-page.) Original dark blue cloth gilt (front hinge tender, light rubbing to extremities, small split to front joint near foot); morocco-backed folding box.

ARTHUR RACKHAM'S OWN COPY OF THE FIRST TRADE EDITION OF ONE OF HIS CLASSIC WORKS, SIGNED BY HIM, and with his bookplate ("illustrated and owned by Arthur Rackham", with a small vignette of one of his whimsical bird drawings), WITH A PAGE OF NOTES IN HIS HAND DESCRIBING THE INSPIRATION FOR FIVE OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS tipped-in.

Writing on his personal Houghton House stationery, Rackham writes: "Illustrations all done at 16 Chalcot Gardens" and lists specific illustrations with notes: "Frontispiece: begun at Langham Sketch Club/p. 30: Rock Arch in sea - reminiscent of the Thirlestone/ p. 117: reminiscent of Malines, just before war/ p. 274: background, Blythburgh Church, Suffolk." And the last entry, "p. 143: background - painted from studio window./ Maytree: pear: apple: in our garden/ Chestnut: over wall (the Brooks)/ Elms (the Goodhearts)." Lattimore & Haskell, p. 47; Riall, 130.