The Vision of Sir Launfal

The late 19th century decorative illustrated leather book, Lowell's The Vision of Sir Launfal is a long verse parable originally published in 1848. Lowell, who was influenced by the works of Alfred, Lord Tennyson, and Thomas Malory, offers his version of the Grail story in this tale of a knight who decides not to take a journey in search of the Holy Grail after he learns, during the course of a long dream, that the real meaning of the Grail is charity. The poem is written in iambic tetrameter and is divided into two parts, each with a prelude. Although set in the medieval era, the poem contains moving descriptions of the American landscape.

Title: The Vision of Sir Launfal
Author: James Russell Lowell
Publisher: Field, Osgood, & Co. (Successors to Ticknors and Fields).
Printing: Hazell, Watson & Viney, London.
Publication date: 1869.

Binding/description: Bound for Brentano's ca. 1900 in three quarter green leather over antique white floral decorated paper boards, spine gilt-decorated with five raised bands, green marble endpapers, upper leaf edge gilt.

Author note: He was an American poet, critic, essayist, editor, and diplomat whose major significance probably lies in the interest in literature he helped develop in the United States. He was a highly influential man of letters in his day, but his reputation declined in the 20th century.
This long poem was enormously popular, extolling the brotherhood of man, and during the period made Lowell the most popular new figure in American literature.

Binding note: Brentano's was the elite bookstore in 1946 located on Fifth between 47th and 48th. In 1946, Brentano's had stores in major cities across the country and famously in Paris. Most bookshop sales in New York in 1946 took place in chains like Brentano's or in the book departments of major department stores like Macy's. Many New Yorkers had been greeted through the years at the door by a dignified, impeccable elderly gentleman with pince-nez glasses at the front door. Many did not realize that this was Brentano's president, Arthur Brentano. He had an air of erudition, although he had not been to high school. Brentano's had a venerable history. It dated back to a newsstand opened by August Brentano, an Austrian immigrant with a withered arm, in 1853. It originally stood in front of the New York hotel at a time when newspapers were more often hawked by newsboys on the street. Brentano created a niche by carrying newspapers from Europe as well as the New York journals. He later changed locations and added a few books. He opened his first real bookstore in a basement in 1860. From the start, he catered to the carriage trade, offering books and periodicals not obtainable elsewhere. He followed the northward march of upscale retailers from lower Broadway near Washington Square to Union Square in 1870, a block away from Tiffany. This store became a tourist attraction as a place where one might catch a glimpse of one of the era's literary celebrities.
Dimensions: 0.5ʺW × 5ʺD × 6.75ʺH.
Condition Notes: Very good; gently sunned spine, upper corner of text pages effected by light damp stain, strong square spine, clean light age-toned pages. A beautiful copy.