The Holy Grail & Other Poems by Alfred Tennyson(1870) – Fine Binding with Fore-Edge Painting | Strahan & Co., London

A truly captivating fore-edge painting edition of The Holy Grail and Other Poems by Alfred Tennyson, Poet Laureate of England. Published in London by Strahan and Company, 56 Ludgate Hill, 1870.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–1892) was one of the most celebrated poets of the Victorian era, serving as Poet Laureate of Great Britain for more than forty years. His works—rich in lyricism, imagery, and reflection—explore themes of faith, heroism, loss, and the human spirit.

Bound in rich full green morocco with intricate gilt-tooled floral and geometric borders to both boards, five raised bands with floral gilt compartments, and gilt dentelle turn-ins framing marbled endpapers. All edges are gilt, and the hidden treasure reveals itself when the pages are fanned — a vivid fore-edge painting depicting an English foxhunting scene, complete with riders, hounds, and rolling countryside.

Gilt bright and binding tight. Interior clean and crisp. Fore-edge painting vibrant and well-preserved.

A superb example of late Victorian craftsmanship that merges the poetic artistry of Tennyson with the painter’s brush — an elegant marriage of literature and fine art.

Includes The Holy Grail, The Coming of Arthur, The Passing of Arthur, Pelleas and Ettarre, The Golden Supper, Lucretius, and other poems from Tennyson’s Arthurian and lyrical canon.

Condition: Near Fine. . 

Size: 6 ⅝” H x 4 ⅜”

Fine bindings featuring fore-edge paintings — especially on 19th-century works of Tennyson — are increasingly collectible.

A refined union of poetry and art — this 1870 Tennyson volume conceals a masterful fore-edge painting, making it a true jewel of Victorian bookmaking.