Ebay can be better than a time machine. The latest offering for sale * is an actual book from HPL's library. The book is described thusly:
SWITCH ON THE LIGHT. LOVECRAFT, H. P.) /THOMSON, C. C. (ed.) London: Selwyn & Blount (1931). Contains Lovecrafts 'The Rats in the Walls" as well as the HPL revision of Zealia Bishop's "The Curse of Yig" but what makes this volume really special is that it is from the Old Gent's library and bears Lovecraft's bookplate affixed to the front fixed endpaper. Books from Lovecraft's library with supernatural content are suprizingly few (see LOVECRAFT'S LIBRARY: A CATALOG Necronomicon Press 1980, where some 922 items are listed, the present book being item #829.) This is in fact the only hardcover book issued during Lovecraft's life to contain two stories by him. A significant book from HPL's library in very nice condition. Bound in original red boards, bit of tanning to rear endpapers else VG+ in a striking pictorial dust jacket with couple of creased tears. The present book came from a specialty dealer who sold it to a private collector in 1977; the dealer had purchased the book from long time fan-collector Virginia "Nanek" Coombs, who purchased the book from Robert Barlow early in the 1950's.
Apparently HPL's actual bookplate!
*as of October 20, 2006
3 comments:
Wow, eBay's been hopping lately!
Let the buyer beware.Lovecraft's bookplate was designed by his cousin Wilfred B. Talman and is very scarce.
The problem is that The Necronomicon Press designed a facsimile several years ago and it is very difficult to tell which are the fakes.
Lew Jaffe http://bookplatejunkie.blogspot.com
"he dealer had purchased the book from long time fan-collector Virginia "Nanek" Coombs, who purchased the book from Robert Barlow early in the 1950's."
Hmmm... Must have been VERY early in the 1950s, since Barlow committed suicide on January 2, 1951. At the time he was living in Mexico, and had been living there for some years.
Yrs
Martin
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