The Vermont Flood Really Happened !

The whole matter began, so far as I am concerned, with the historic and unprecedented Vermont floods of November 3, 1927. ... Of course many of the stray items mentioned other instances, but on analysis they all seemed to boil down to these three. In each case country folk reported seeing one or more very bizarre and disturbing objects in the surging waters that poured down from the unfrequented hills, and there was a widespread tendency to connect these sights with a primitive, half-forgotten cycle of whispered legend which old people resurrected for the occasion. - The Whisperer in Darkness *
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This is a real newspaper "clipping":

THE PORTSMOUTH HERALD, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1927.
(page 4)

Portsmouth, N. H., Saturday, November 5, 1927.

The Flood Horror

The flood horror, which without warning, practically submerged
the northern part of New Hampshire and much of
Vermont and a large part of Maine is. the worst catastrophe
that has ever visited New England in the.memory of our oldest
inhabitant. Portsmouth and Southern New Hampshire is
untouched but the sympathy of the entire people will go to
6ur northern citizens.

The entire country has been shocked and in many respects
The suffering will be even greater than that which followed the
Mississippi horror. It was like a lightning bolt from a clear
sky and it will cost untold suffering and financial loss. It was
unfortunate for the railroads just as they were getting on their
feet to have valuable bridges and road-beds swept away.

There is a deep lesson in these happenings which come
Without warning. The whole world is the object of many
catastrophies of late with the. result in loss of life and great
property losses. Greater preparations for safety must be made
and we must so regulate our lives as to be ever-prepared for
such visitations. Portsmouth extends its sympathy to Its northern brothers
and sisters and will do its part of relief and render all aid and
possible assistance.

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The Whisperer in Darkness wasn't written until between February and September 1930. It incubated for nearly three years in Lovecraft's mind.

Lovecraft Letter Uncovered in Indiana

Thanks to Steve of the Limbonaut/Criticaster, he alerted us about this letter at Indiana University.

The full text of the Lilly Library article is here ... click !

Goodenough, Cook, Lovecraft Postcard of 21 August 1927

These items are in Ivan's collection from an auction some time back. It's not clear if these have been seen by other Lovecraftians, or not. The coupling of the postcard and Arkham image gives a nearly a three dimensional aura to us over 80 years later.

The seller said:
2 original postcards signed H.P. Lovecraft and initialed C.H.P.
These were found in a box of Postcards from Vermont.

Ivan told me, "I managed to purchase this postcard (postmarked 21 August 1927) autographed by W.P. Cook, Arthur H. Goodenough and H.P. Lovecraft. A real gem ... I found a photo of those 3 men taken on 21 August 1927 (The Arkham Sampler, Volume II, number 4, Special Photograph Issue-II: Howard Phillips Lovecraft and his friends & relatives, The Strange Company 1985). ... imagine, a photo taken practically on the same day this card was written, signed by those 3 men."

It's wonderful Ivan is sharing these images with us !

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Above, is of interest to "Fossil" and amateur journalism lovers. I asked Dave Goudsward his impressions:

Ivan is quite correct about Kipling. He only lived in Vermont from 1892-1896 and Naulakha was in Dummerston.

"The Fossil" was a publication of National Amateur Press Association, a subset of the older group of amateurs as a historical resource for the amateur press movement. Tilden was a long time member and past president of the Fossils and had been a force to be reckoned with during the formative years of the NAPA.

Lovecraft did visit Arthur Goodenough and Vrest Orton in Vermont in 1927. I would assume Goodenough is the Laureate - other postcards from HPL tend to have the signature of the person he was visiting. Cook of course, would have been the one who drove.

Tilden worked for Labor Department, so he may have been having NAPA submissions sent to him at work.





The seller states the text reads:

The full text (at least what I make of it) reads:
'Memorable amateur meeting! This is the Vermont Laureate's first sight of an amateur in person since Cook blazed the trail. Also my first sight of Vermont-exquisite country! Am stopping with Cook in Athol. Regards-HPLovecraft. Arthur H Goodenough. W.P. Cook.'

Postcards of Lovecraft Sent to Talman

YR OBT SERVT Postcards of Lovecraft Sent to Talman

This was a recent Ebay auction, and while only 200 copies of this were printed in 1988, there do seem to be several floating about. Chrispy was lucky enough to win the auction on this one (located in Japan) at slightly less than the market rate. Others seem were at:

Kathmandu Books (Winter Park, FL, U.S.A.)
THE FINE BOOKS COMPANY / (ROCHESTER, MI, U.S.A.)
Leonard Shoup (Burlington, ON, Canada)
Bookworks (Evansville, WI, U.S.A.)

All this on 12 April 2009, so coincidentlly this seems to be one that can be found. They are in various conditions, and at least one had the original shipping envelope. It's printed by R Alain Everts, and includes 10 postcards on 24 pages: "Talman was an editor and genealogical researcher. Contains the text and picture of 10 postcards written to Talman between 1927 and 1933. With footnotes and photos."

Listed between $20 and $60 depending on condition and the savvy of the book seller and their need for a return on investment.

What were they reading in 1927?

Unlikely any of these would appeal to the 37 year old Lovecraft - but then again ...

This is the Providence copy of the catalog.

19 December 1927

to Wandrei:

"I am getting quite lonely for horror... when we grow old, the feelings & intensity of our early childhood return to us with a freshness & intensity scarcely to be conceived of ..."

In this letter, he refers to Wandrei's mention of a lecture by Rennell Rodd (1858-1941) lecture, a poet who'd won the Newdigate prize in 1880. Lovecraft states ... "he read one poem on Greece which gives me a highly favourable idea of his style & attainments...".

"I attended a lecture by Canon Fellowes of Windsor [1870-1951] ... learned much that was new to me about early English music ..."

Lovecraft refers to him as "Canon' Fellowes becuase he was a minor canon of St. George's Chapel, Windsor from 1900 (to 1951). His given name was Edmund Horace Fellowes. Fellowes' compassion for mid-16th century - mid-17th century music led him to edit hundreds of manuscripts of ancient music, particularly madrigals.

Postcard Information

I recently came across a website that mentioned some HPL postcards. The information on the website seemed to be a little garbled because of mispellings, etc. The website can be found here.

I'll correct the textual issues as best I can below.
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...Recently my friend who owns perhaps the best rare-bookstore in America, brought to my attention he had a few postcards he purchased back in the '70s, of H.P. Lovecraft's. He is reconized from San Francisco to New York City as the best in his rare collection of books, and other such things, and I've known him for a long, long time. ...

Postcard: H.P. Lovecraft to Clark A. Smith
(Dated April 19, 1927)

The History: The Postcard was purchased by Dennis L. Siluk, 12/8/2005, from Tom Strausky, whom purchased it in the l970s from Roy Squires. The Postcard is signed by: H.P. Lovecraft; W. Munn (Poet/Writer) and W. P. Cook (publisher/editor); ... The people mentioned in the postcard: George Sterling: Poet and friend of Jack London, novelist; H.P. Lovecraft: fantasy/horror writer; Ambrose Bierce: reporter, short story writer, poet; and also friend to C.A. Smith. Frank Belknap Long: Poet/writer for ‘Weird Tales’; Donald Wandrei: Poet/writer for ‘Weird Tales’; Alfred Galpin: writer; C.A. Smith: Novelist/short story writer/poet; also wrote for ‘Weird Tales'; all mentioned in the postcard.

Content of the letter as I perceive it, and have interpreted it: the Postcard

To: Clark Ashton Smith Box 385, Auburn, California.

“Still another conclave! Wandrei & Belknap are both in their respective heavens again, but the spirit of assemblage is yet abroad in the land. I am told that the New Braithwaite Anthology contains a very fine appreciation of your work by Sterling. I must look it up. Heard from Galpin lately, & he’s enthusiastic about your French verse. In my next I’ll enclose his list of expert linguistic emendations.”

Robert Weinberg's Art: II

Hugh Rankin from Weird Tales, October 1927. Robert Weinberg's Site is amazing.

A Lovecraft circulating correc ted copy: History-Necronomicon

"HISTORY OF THE NECRONOMICON" [essay]. TYPED MANUSCRIPT (TMs). Two pages on two sheets of 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper "H. P. Lovecraft / 10 Barnes St. / Providence, R. I." at upper left corner of first leaf. Circulating copy, with several corrections in Lovecraft's hand and "please return" at upper left corner of first leaf. Undated; estimated at circa 1927. Brittle paper frayed at edges; old mailing folds. Provenance: Barlow / Derleth Papers. (#114690) $1,000.00

A Day in the Life of Lovecraft: 16 July 1927

It was I who fled frantically out of Innsmouth in the early morning hours of July 16, 1927, and whose frightened appeals for government inquiry and action brought on the whole reported episode. I was willing enough to stay mute while the affair was fresh and uncertain; but now that it is an old story, with public interest and curiosity gone, I have an odd craving to whisper about those few frightful hours in that ill-rumored and evilly-shadowed seaport of death and blasphemous abnormality. The mere telling helps me to restore confidence in my own faculties; to reassure myself that I was not the first to succumb to a contagious nightmare hallucination. It helps me, too, in making up my mind regarding a certain terrible step which lies ahead of me. - The Shadow Over Innsmouth

Some feel that Innsmouth had roots in Essex County. This is an image of the rare book: The Wheelman's Handbook of Essex County which allegedly contains brief sketches of cities and towns previous to it's printing date of 1884. The woodcut image is very eerie, isn't it!

Tryout (1927) Vol 11 No 3

TRYOUT, THE. March 1927 (volume 11, number 3). Edited by C. W. Smith. Haverhill, Mass.: C. W. Smith, March 1927 (volume 11, number 3). Small octavo, single issue, printed self wrappers, sewn. Includes, "The Splinter," an early story by August Derleth. $100.00

Tryout (1927) Vol 11 No 2

TRYOUT, THE. January 1927 (volume 11, number 2). Edited by C. W. Smith. Haverhill, Mass.: C. W. Smith, January 1927 (volume 11, number 2). Small octavo, single issue, self wrappers, sewn. Includes "The Wood" by H. P. Lovecraft. The first printing of this poem published under Lovecraft's pen name "L. Theobald, Jun." Also present is "The Figure With the Scythe," a early story by August Derleth written in collaboration with Mark Schorer. $125.00

30 April 1927 postcard to Paul J Campbell

Seller states:

Autograph postcard signed from Howard Phillips Lovecraft to Paul J. CampbellPostmarked Providence, RI, April 30, 1927Pictured on the front of card: Hotel Empire, New York CityLovecraft writes to old-time amateur journalist and friend Campbell to express sympathy over the loss of amateur papers. It reads in part:"Just got a card from Smithy [Tryout Smith] telling of your fire and the loss of your amateur collection. . . If I can help -- in connection withother amateurs -- in partly replacing your loss, I shall be glad to send some old-time items which I still retain. . . . Let me know whatyou especially desire."Signed "HPL"A nice chatty note to a long-time friend who published work by Lovecraft in his amateur journal, "The Liberal."

The Tryout January 1927

TRYOUT, THE. January 1927 (volume 11, number 2). Edited by C. W. Smith. Haverhill, Mass.: C. W. Smith, January 1927 (volume 11, number 2). Small octavo, single issue, self wrappers, sewn. Includes "The Wood" by H. P. Lovecraft. The first printing of this poem published under Lovecraft's pen name "L. Theobald, Jun." Also present is "The Figure With the Scythe," a early story by August Derleth written in collaboration with Mark Schorer. Joshi I-B-iii-158. Wilson 291. A fine copy. (#108461) Price: $125.00