Lovecraft autograph - to Sonia in 1922

{Look how early Lovecraft and Sonia are linked. The signature shows this is clearly a Christmas present. I suppose the only thing more romantic would have been a Poe book. I'm not sure I've ever seen Lovecraft write out Sonia's name before.}

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The seller states: (Lovecraft's copy) Dunsany, Lord (Edward Plunkett). DON RODRIGUEZ: CHRONICLES OF SHADOW VALLEY. New York & London: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1922. Octavo, pp. [1-4] [i-vi] vii [viii] ix-x 1 [2] 3-318 [319-322: ads] [note: first leaf is a blank], inserted frontispiece with illustration by Sidney H. Sime, original dark blue cloth, front and spine panels stamped in gold. First U.S. edition. Dunsany's first novel. An episodic romantic fantasy, Dunsany's version of Don Quixote. Presentation copy inscribed by H. P. Lovecraft on the front free endpaper: To / Sonia H. Greene / from H. P. Lovecraft / Christmas, 1922." Sonia Haft Greene Lovecraft Davis (1883-1972) was introduced to amateur journalism by James F. Morton in 1917. Rheinhart Kleiner introduced her to H. P. Lovecraft at the NAPA convention in Boston in July 1921. Shortly thereafter a correspondence with Howard ensued, and over the next two and a half years Sonia visited Providence as frequently as her business schedule allowed. Sonia and Howard were married on 3 March 1924 in New York City and resided in Brooklyn. In the spring of 1926 Howard moved back to Providence and two corresponded and met intermittently for several years. By the end of 1928 Sonia must have begun to press for divorce, since she was no longer satisfied with a marriage by correspondence. Howard repeatedly refused to grant the divorce, claiming that a "gentleman did not divorce his wife without cause," but he finally relented. The final decree must have been issued in March or April 1929, but Howard did not sign it. See Joshi and Schultz, An H. P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia, pp. 59-61. Schlobin, The Literature of Fantasy 895. Bleiler (1978), p. 65. Reginald 04608. Anderson I.20.b.1. Joshi, Lovecraft's Library: A Catalogue, Revised & Enlarged (2002) 272. Some wear to cloth at spine ends and corner tips, inner rear hinge cracked, else a very good copy in very good pictorial dust jacket with wear at edges and dust soiling. (#109173)
Price: $3,500.00