A Derleth Fanzine: Amazine

AMAZINE STF & NONSENCE

Obviously a play on words between "Amazing" and "magazine". STF stands for scientifiction, the name science-based adventure fantasy had before $SJ (Forest J. Ackerson) coined SciFi, and before science fiction became stodgy and proper "SF".

Seller states: Vol 1 no 1 (no year given) 14pgs + covers, side stapled. WISCONSIN DIARY by August Derleth. Published by Phil Harrell. Cover little soiled, VG.

The bug spray on the Naziesque character probably dates it to the early 1940's (maybe 1943?). I could find no online source to collaborate.

KALEIDOSCOPE (1961)

You read in yesterday's blog about how Chalker toyed with names for his new magazine finally coming up with Mirage. This was his second issue.

Seller states: KALEIDOSCOPE. 1961 fanzine from Jack Chalker includes a story "The Doom That Came to Sarnoth' by H.P. Lovevcraft, plus "Conspiracy Out of Dorwich" by Howard St.John, editorial by Chalker, and a letter column. Cover portrait of Lovecraft by Dave Porsser.

More: http://jophan.org/mimosa/m20/chalker.htm

Interesting coincidence in early 1960's Baltimore

I was perusing some of my old blog entries (yes Chrispy uses them, too, heh) and saw an interesting coincidence of Chalker reusing artwork.



This is said to have been VOLUME 1 NUMBER 2, FANTASTIC, ILLUSTRATED JOURNAL with a provence of (1960) a published amateur fiction magazine by Chesapeake Publications, Baltimore, Maryland of 32 pages including cover. Editorial by Jack L. Chalker. The Doom that Came to Sarnath by H.P. Lovecraft, Centaur: A Cleaning up, Conspiracy Out of Dorwich by Howard St. John, artwork by Phil Harrell, Prosser, Donald Studebaker, publisher.


Compare that to the pale cover of Kaleidescope:



Yes, virtually identical even to the contents. Obviously the art has been reproportioned on the green covered fanzine, and it appears that the art is rougher on the green colored fanzine.

MIRAGE #4 (1961)

No Chrispy hasn't forgot about the "Legacy" part of H.P. Lovecraft and His Legacy. Here is a copy of Mirage (by editor jack Chalker) containing a very young Marion Zimmer (Bradley) on her way to the stars and the top of fantasy lists everywhere.

Fanzines were the e-zines of their day only on paper - usually mimeograph by the 1960's. {Chrispy well recalls mimeographs, the stencils, and the ink, but he ain't that old!)

The seler states: MIRAGE #4. 1961 fanzine devoted to H.P. Lovecraft and related Arkham House fiction. This issue includes storites by John Murdock & Marion Zimmer Bradley and Ed Bryant, an article by August Derleth, columns, and letters. Cover is by Dave Prosser (Starting bid $9.99).

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Here is an excerpt of how Mirage got started by Chalker ... Mirage evolved out of my earlier fanzine, Centaur. My second issue was called Kaleidoscope 2, but it had no title on the cover, as I had announced a contest for a permanent title. K2 couldn't have been more different from Centaur; this time August Derleth was the big influence, and the fanzine was very Lovecraftian in content. K2 was printed by Don Studebaker, and took some time to get out since I actually had to pay for supplies this time. I was very surprised by the positive reaction to it; I picked Mirage as the 'winner' for its permanent name (which had been suggested by a Sears & Roebuck salesman and would-be horror writer from Knoxville, Tennessee, named Gene Tipton) and decided to go with the 'serious and constructive' path that K2 had taken rather than the 'same-old same-old' of Centaur. The cover was drawn by David Prosser, a classical music disk jockey and part-time portrait painter from Ohio whose portraits of great opera stars are in major opera houses across the country. In fact, Prosser did the cover for every issue of Mirage and also designed the distinctive logo for Mirage (which I still use with my Mirage Press publications).

More:
http://jophan.org/mimosa/m20/chalker.htm

Hugog And Whipple Phillips

In S T Joshi's HP Lovecraft: A Life, p. 3 he quotes a reference whereby it states "at last fell prey to that noted demon, Hugog, and lost much of his hard eranings..." and " ...rascality of a pretended friend, Hugog...". This apparently was a person or concern that swindled through some pretense - a confidence man of soprts - that swept through Whipple Pjillips' part of Rhode Island in the latter mid-19th century.

Chrispy does not think this is the name of a person, but a nickname. In Welsh-English, a hugog was a term for a cloak wrapped about. It does not take much more than that a bit of imagination to presume that hugog became "Hugog" a confidence man. The 'hug/-" prefix appears to indicate to 'loosely wrap' (ensnare? to trip up?).

Note 'hugwd" is a ghost or phantom.



From: Geiriadur cenhedlaethol Cymraeg a Saesneg, ed. and enlarged by R.J. Pryse edited by Robert John Pryse

Harold Munroe: Bits Found

1913



Agency Appointments in Rhode Island
Mutual Benefit Harold B Munroe
In
The Standard, Volume 73
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1913



1918



Several entries for various months, various years. Reimbursements for appearances.
In
Reports presented to the General assembly ...
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1919





In
1920, Acts and resolves of the General Assembly of the state of Rhode Island ...

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Market Square, Providence (circa 1900)

Dating this, the 1-cent Franklin, introduced in February, 1903, was produced in enormous quantities (11.2 billion) largely to support the postcard mania of the time. The stress of this high volume on the Bureau of Engraving and Printing can be seen as the initial color of apple green became a muddy, blurred green by 1905.

So it's a good guess that this is about 24 September {1904}.
The card would have been issues from images dating to 1900 just as Lovecraft was turning ten or so. It shows the church, and many other iconic images of his childhood.

Chester P. Munroe, Death Notice

Journal-Bulletin Almanac, 1945
"Chester P. Munroe, 54, Taunton, Prominent Hotel Man"

Westminster Sreet (1912)

Hi, Lovecraftians. I collected a number of images of Westminster here. It's a s close as Chrispy can get from letting you stroll down the street with 20-something Lovecraft. Imagineer yourself there.

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If you click on the image and expand it into a new window, you'll see Keith's Theater, part of the Albee circuit. Providence was very busy, and you'll see that circa 1912, long dresses were still the norm. Still several years away from "flappers". Street cars were prominent modes of transportation.

Below is the identical scene, only colorized. Uncannily, the cart in the street near the right pedestal clock is in the precise and identical spot! Other minor changes are visible in the photo, for instance an electric pole in the foreground as well as new (modern) curbing. Perhaps the postcard was an alternate photographic scene, taken the same day, and illustrated with retouches to remove certain features and enhance others. The first photo, by the way is from: (Page 111) THE GENUINE PATRIOTISM, an article from Volume 47 Number 3 in the May 1912 issue of NEW ENGLAND MAGAZINE.





As far as Keith's, here is the entrance a few years earlier.



And here is an elevated illustration of Keith's and its neighboring storefronts.



And here are other views of Westminster about the same time. It would not take much for a talented creative artist to create a virtual world of Lovecraft's Westminster, as there are so very mnay images of it from this time period.

Good Ol' Sol

This is another alien blast to the mind. NASA strung together some images and video taken in multiple spectrums. It's kind of long, but it has some Fantasia moments. After 3 minutes into it there are some scenes that trigger matrixing* that give you a feeling of Cthulhuesque images forming.

It's our sun, but we've never seen it this way before.

*(Matrixing is the mind creating personified images out of random visual elements.)

CM Eddy Jr: Music notes

Elsewhere on the blog, we uncovered a school Thanksgiving song by Mr. C M Eddy, Jr. {Thanksgiving Melody by CM Eddy, Jr., 1932, Grade teacher, Volume 50‎ - Page 201}

Now, "Da Google" has revealed a few more Eddy gems.



"When there's love at the end of the lane" song m CM Eddy jr arr Felix Testa 1 c July 3 1933 E unp 73328 Myrtle Lillian Wads worth 15624 {Reference: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS COPYRIGHT OFFICE CATALOGUE OF COPYRIGHT; ENTRIES; PART 3; Musical Compositions; NEW SERIES; VOLUME 28 PART 1 FIRST HALF OF 1933 Nos 1-9}
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Fragments appear in other sources. Chrispy will list them below.



"Rocky Mountain Rose"; W F Connally, melody CM Eddy, Jr. © 1 c. Dec. 17, 1932; E unp. 65297; Florence Connally and CM Eddy Jr, 27732 {Catalog of copyright entries, Part 3, Volume 27‎ - Page 1158}

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And this little gem. It's an ad in an obscure magazine known as American Notes & Queries - a Journal for the Curious 1943-44 By Hesperides, page 71. Derleth seeks Eddy and others.




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Next, a little warning to researchers. There is a "C M Eddy" affiliated with the Episcopal church.



It is highly unlikely this is anything to do with C M Eddy, Jr. {1903, Annual session, Volumes 34-37 By Methodist Episcopal Church. Central New York Conference, p.33}

Another example:
{1902}
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And beware there is a Charlotte M Eddy as below.


{It's from Catalog of copyright entries, Part 3, Volume 13, Issue 1 By Library of Congress. Copyright Office, p.615}

21 April 1898 - on Poets

Lovecraft was just beginning to fiddle with verses and writing at the age of 7 and 8. Perhaps the Providence Journal was prescient about one of its natives who would one day attempt poetry on a grand scale.

From a magazine known as Public opinion: a comprehensive summary of the press throughout, Volume 24 of 21 April 1898

Providence Journal
What shall we do with the minor poet? The question is really a pressing one Never before has he been so abundant The number of persons indeed who can turn out a workmanlike piece of verse is really surprising The magazines and even the newspapers print thousands of well written poems every year The number of minor poets has been variously estimated Mr HD Traill once recognized only fifty as actual poets But such a limitation is ridiculously low or perhaps it would be better to say that Mr Train's standard was ridiculously high Fifty names would hardly include the living minor poets of general repute even if we included in the ranks of the major such writers as Dobson Lang Gosse Aldrich Stoddard Mrs Piatt Mrs Meynell el id omne genus There must be five times fifty minor poets of lesser merit those who have written good verses and are by no means to be despised as intellectual degenerates Should these all be assailed indiscriminately Should there be any attempt to suppress them in behalf of literary purity It is doubtful if indiscriminate condemnation would be justified Perhaps the worst thing about the minor poet is his disposition to take himself too seriously Magazine verses that are pleasingly written even if they fall far short of genius do no great harm The trouble is that the minor poet once started on his career goes on writing whether he has anything to say or not He becomes clamorous and insistent He insists upon being gathered into a volume He makes a nuisance of himself to friends and acquaintances and pesters the life out of reviewers The true tragedy of the situation lies in the fact that the minor poet needs to be protected from himself

Lovecraft at the Theater: Robert Mantell

"I used to think that Leiber {Senior} was really better than Mantell himself — for the latter was getting egotistical, self-conscious, and stagey." -HPL

My best guess: Monday 9 October fits only certain years and NOT 1915 or 1917. It does fit 1916, so that's Chrispy's best guess. (Perpetual Calendar Aid).


Mantell was married to actress Genveieve Hamper (after 1912) and they made a dynamic husband and wife team on the stage. He had at least two "revival" tours in 1915 and 1917. In exact robes, he is listed in a 1917 book on "Da Google", which indicates it is from the 1915 tour. Similar images are reproduced on a number of on line library sources, with NO DATE. Some are lobby cards, others are postcards circulated in the various cities he toured.

Bio articles:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0544071/bio



Seller lists no provenance or details other than what is printed on promotional post card. I found one listing on his tour from Grand Rapids: (The advertisement on the back says the company will open for one week at Powers' Theatre, Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Monday, November 13.) This, too, fits the year 1916.



Providence post card with indications Lovecraft saw this or similar productions in Providence.





From a book.


From the Wisconsin Production


A New York image, albeit in black and white.




A 1902 image for comparison.


1890's

* Note, Mantell is listed doing a 1916 play earlier in the year, but no listing of other 1916 work: Caliban of the Yellow Sands [Original, Musical, Spectacle], Performer: Robert Mantell [Hamlet] May 24, 1916 - Jun 1916. There would have been time to do a late year tour, though.

A Tentacular Spectacular

We bring you all things tentacular, so enjoy this video. It's went viral. At the end ask yourself once again - who is at the top of the food chain?

Wisconsin Meteor: Ground Zero Found

Lovecraft's fascination with meteors probably started when he saw the periodic showers over Providence. He says he witnessed a "great meteor" in 1906. So, we like to mention anytime a "colour out of space" is noted in the media.

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Meteor Fragment From Wisconsin Fireball Discovered by Farmer
By Tariq Malik
SPACE.com Managing Editor
posted: 17 April 2010

A small chunk of rock believed to be a fragment from a meteor that burst into a stunning fireball over Wisconsin Wednesday night was discovered by a farmer after it fell on the roof of his shed.

The meteor fragment is peppered with gray, white and reddish minerals, though one side is covered in what scientists called a "fusion crust" – a layer of dark material forged during the meteor's fiery passage into Earth's atmosphere. It weighs just 0.2 ounces (7.5 grams) and is about 2 inches (5 cm) long and less than an inch wide.

Lovecraft Going to College

As virtually everyone who's read much about Lovecraft knows, he did not attend college. He apparently lied often about it. However, what if we made a different assumption? Just for theoretical and argument's sake?

He said he intended to matriculate - though he did not apparently have enough High School credits. He said his health collapsed. He said that math - algebra - was his downfall.

Hmm.

There seems to be some evidence that Lovecraft acquired a serious disease about the time that Providence had a pandemic that was renowned throughout many medical texts. We know that he was hell-bent for astronomical leather in 1906 scoring numerous milestones that were impressive. High School chemistry and physics - loaded with equations - were seemingly effortless to him. He did retake algebra, however. He says Geometry was little effort, and he frequently composed ad hoc star charts.

Before we can make any conclusions, Chrispy tracked down on Google the Brown University requirements for 1908 for entrance.

They are listed below.





In essence, all Lovecraft seemed to need was the principal of Hpe High School to give him a pass to take the entrance examinations on Thursday, 17 September 1908 at 8 AM in Wilson Hall.

So, what if the principal (It's assumed since he is listed on documents between 1902 and 1913, it was Charles Edward Dennis) gave him a pass? He would have been given credits for tutoring, and one supposes that someone with connections (Dr. Clark and Professor Winslow Upton), of elite status ('the grandson of Whipple Phillips'), might have got a pass to at least enter college and have a chance at advanced classes while catching up on requirements.

Documents exist that principal Dennis was 2nd Vice President of the Brown Univesity Teachers' Association (formed 1903). He and Upton would have known of each other, but this does not - of course - certify a conspiracy for Lovecraft to escape regimen and slip into college. But it at least allows for it, even if the probability is low.

So, maybe Lovecraft FAILED the test?

If he failed algebra, the whole plot would collapse. He would have to go back to High School, he would not be able to go to Brown University, and no amount of coercion by his defenders would be possible - not even the very politically powerful and former Dean of the Brown University, Winslow Upton.

OK, ok, it's all sheer speculation. Chrispy is sometimes the first to want to say Lovecraft lied or spun the truth, but time after time he is so blesse'd accurate when one checks the facts! Was he stating some form of the truth?

Lovecraft's First Comet

"The first comet I ever observed was Borelli's — in Aug. 1903."

Indeed this must have been exciting for young Lovecraft. It first was visible as early as 24 July, and at least as late as the end of the month as noted in articles below. Of course his 13th birthday was 20 August 1903. Larger observatories had it tracked for much longer periods.

For young Howard, he probably tracked it from a week or so before his birthday through about a week after his birthday depending on the weather (cloudiness) at the time.

Recall that Howard had ended Grammar school in June 1903, so was very free in his activities these several weeks later. It is as yet unknown (to Chrispy) if Chester and Harold Munroe had astronomical interests at this time, but it's highly probable he spoke much about it to them.

It's also pretty likely that by now Lovecraft was rushing to the library each month to readt Popular Astronomy that carried articles constantly by Pickering and Lowell - though Bornelli's comet was most likely announced in the newspaper after 22nd or 23rd July 1903. The August-September Popular Science had a major spread on the comet - much after the fact.

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The most complex data are from the Lick Observatory (Bulletin No. 47, listed as "Borelly") and can be found by clicking the link attached to the blog title.
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Here are other independent and contemporaneous notes.

Known also as the Borelly comet: "Still another comet was discovered on June 21 by M Borelly at Marseilles. It became conspicuous early in August, but later on in the month it approached too near the sun to be seen."

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"The Friend", August 1, 1903, Vol. LXXVII, No.3, p.27,



Text:Borelli's comet now visible in this latitude is the brightest seen for about twelve years At present it is as bright as the pole star It is said to be traveling at about twenty five miles a second and is something like 26,000,000 of miles from the earth It can be seen best about nine o clock in the evening when it is plainly visible to the naked eye in the northeastern sky On Eighth Month 27th the astronomers have calculated that the comet will be 31,000,000 miles from the sun when it will begin to recede.
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Popular science monthly, Volume 64, p. 88.
The comet was noted by Alexander Graham Bell in reference to the Aurora Borealis:



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PATTERN MAKERS JOURNAL, p. 19 (August 1903)
A comedic note:


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"The Summary, August 8, 1903, "News of the Week" segment.

Text: A third tail to the Borelli comet has been discovered by the astronomers at the Yale Observatory Photographs were taken on July 24 and 27 and these snow a third tail but it is also to be seen from these negatives that all the tails are broken.

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The Railway conductor, Volume 21‎, Page 231, 1904


And this was picked up in a number of the small press as evidenced here... "The Anamosa Prison Press", Vol. 6, No. 36, p.7 dated Saturday April 16, 1904.

Hope Street High School Adminsitration (1903 ff)

Let's pause and discuss Charles Edward Tilley. Unknown how much Lovecraft knew of him, but they would have crossed paths.

In numerous journals, particularly as a member of The American Association of the Advancement of Science, Tilley of Hope Street High School is mentioned along with Winslow Upton of Brown University, etc.

In 1906's book for Phi Delta Theta we find he is still preeminent...



He has a major article in Education, Volume 27, p. 467, 1907. of which the first page is reporduced below ...



He was a Brown University Graduate ( CHARLES EDWARD TILLEY, AM Pedagogy, 1898-99.) and of Amherst College (Charles Edward Tilley Providence AB {Amherst College) 1892,Charles Edward Tilley, MA 1897 and CHARLES EDWARD TILLEY, MA, [Providence, R. L], son of Charles H. and Phebe A.)


In a Who's Who, His wife is listed as a suffrage movement member and more ...



Finally here is the list of the members of the AAAS in 1904's late edition (obviously published mid 1905 or so). Winslow Upton (Ladd Observatory and Lovecraft's mentor), John Howard Appleton (living on Angell Street), Alpheus Spring Packard (Jr) (Living on Angell Street), and Tilley (Hope High School) are all listed. Packard had just died (14 February 1905). These were all in Lovecraft's orbit.