Original Limited Print of The Shunned House (1928, 1961)

Lovecraft, H[oward] P[hillips]. THE SHUNNED HOUSE. Athol, Mass.: Published by Paul Cook The Recluse Press, 1928. Octavo, pp. [1-8] 9-58 [59] [60: blank], unbound sheets. First edition. Lovecraft's first book of fiction. 300 copies were printed but the book was not published. A few copies were circulated among members of the tiny Lovecraft circle prior to August Derleth's acquisition of approximately 150 useable sets of sheets from Robert Barlow, Lovecraft's literary executor. Although the original 1928 Cook copyright statement is not canceled with an Arkham House copyright label, this is probably one of about fifty sets of sheets Derleth distributed prior to 1961 before 100 were bound in the black cloth uniform with other Arkham House bindings. Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 1037. Joshi I-A-5. Top and bottom edges trimmed, fore-edges untrimmed, sheets glued along spine edges. This copy was prepared for binding by Barlow and tiny stab holes near the spine edge indicate that this was perhaps one of the handful of copies Barlow bound in paper covers, now removed. The title leaf is foxed and there are tiny marginal stains to fore-edge margins of first two leaves, otherwise this is a nice copy. (#110361) Price: $6,500.00