PBA Galleries

Comprises: Arkham House publications (nearly all with W.E. Louttit’s bookplate), 14 volumes & contains: The Outsider and Others. Jacket (art by Virgil Finlay). First printing. 1939. The first book published by Arkham House, with only 1268 copies printed. A landmark in the history of weird fiction and of American publishing. Assembled by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei. This was the first of three projected volumes of Lovecraft’s works, this title was designed to include his best stories along with his monograph ‘Supernatural Horror in Literature’ (1927), which appears here for the first time in its’ fully revised state” – Joshi, Sixty Years, p.22. [Joshi I-A-15]; Bleiler 1040. * Beyond the Wall of Sleep. Jacket (art by Burt Trimpey). First printing. 1943. Assembled by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei. Only 1217 copies printed. “The second Lovecraft omnibus, containing his remaining fiction, an array of his ‘revisions’…and an extensive selection of his poetry…[and] two previously unpublished short novels, The Case of Charles Dexter War and The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath, of whose whereabouts…[were] not known when compiling The Outsider” – Joshi, Sixty Years, p.25. [Joshi I-A-17]; Bleiler 1041. Offsetting to rear endpaper due to related newspaper clipping (which is included in this collection – kept outside of book). * Marginalia. Jacket (art by Virgil Finlay). First printing. 1944. Only 2035 copies printed. “Contains a number of important articles and memoirs about Lovecraft…the best are perhaps those by Scott (the first biographical essay on Lovecraft), Mabbott (the leading Poe scholar of his generation), and Barlow” – Joshi, Sixty Years, p.29-30. [Joshi I-A-19]; Bleiler 1042. * The Lurker at the Threshold by Lovecraft & Derleth. Jacket (art by Ronald Clyne). First printing. 1945. Only 3041 copies printed. The first of sixteen “posthumous collaborations” between Derleth and Lovecraft, in which Derleth wrote tales around fragments and plot-germs found among Lovecraft’s papers. [Joshi I-C-33]. No bookplate. * Something About Cats and Other Pieces. Jacket (art by Ronald Clyne). First printing. 1949. Only 2995 copies printed. “A rich selection of works…and memoirs of him fill this volume…clearly the most important is that by [his] ex-wife Sonia H. Davis; the text was revised…by…Scott for its first appearance (August 1948)…and further revised here by Derleth” – Joshi, Sixty Years, p.54-55. [Joshi I-A-25-a]. * The Survivor and Others by Lovecraft & Derleth. Jacket (art by Ronald Clyne). First printing. 1957. Only 2096 copies printed. Seven “posthumous collaborations.” [Joshi I-E-i-22 & I-A-46]. * The Shuttered Room and Other Pieces. Jacket (art by Richard Taylor). First printing. 1959. Only 2527 copies printed. “The third Lovecraft miscellany volume…containing an abundance of interesting matter” – Joshi, Sixty Years, p.67. [Joshi I-A-32]. * Dreams and Fancies. Jacket (art by Richard Taylor). First printing. 1962. Only 2030 copies printed. “A selection of Lovecraft’s letters describing his vivid dreams” – Joshi, Sixty Years, p.75-6. [Joshi I-A-33]. * The Dark Brotherhood and Other Pieces. Jacket (art by Frank Utpatel). First printing. 1966. Only 3460 copies printed. “Another interesting collection of Lovecraft miscellany” – Joshi, Sixty Years, p.95. [Joshi I-A-43]. * The Arkham Sampler. Wrappers. 4 issues. Vol. I, Nos. 1-4. Entire 1948 year. 100 pages each. Each 1 of 1200 copies printed. “A fine mixture of tales, articles, poems, and reviews. Derleth’s decision to serialize Lovecraft’s Dream-Quest over the first four issues of the Sampler was presumably a means of keeping the short novel in print” – Joshi, Sixty Years, p.45. [Joshi Nos. 27-30]. One without bookplate. * Sixty Years of Arkham House, compiled by S.T. Joshi. Jacket (art by Allen Koszowski). First printing. 1999. Only 3500 copies printed. * VARIOUS other publications, each with Louttit’s bookplate (except one): The Weird Shadow Over Innsmouth. Color pictorial paperback. First printing. Bartholomew House, [1944]. [Joshi I-A-18]. * The Dunwich Horror. Color pictorial paperback. First printing. Bartholomew House, [1945]. [Joshi I-A-23; Bleiler, p.126]. * Supernatural Horror in Literature. Jacket. Second printing. Ben Abramson, 1945. [Joshi I-A-21-a-2]. * Best Supernatural Stories of H.P. Lovecraft. Jacket (price clipped). Third printing. World Pub., [1945]. [Joshi I-A-22-a-3]. * H.P.L.: a memoir by August Derleth. Tipped-in frontispiece portrait from photo of Lovecraft. Jacket. First printing. Ben Abramson, 1945. [Joshi I-C-32]. * H.P. Lovecraft and Lovecraft Criticism: An Annotated Bibliography by S.T. Joshi. Cloth, no jacket (as issued). First printing. Kent State Univ. Press, [1981]. (No bookplate). * Other wrapper-bound booklets and catalogues (most with Louttit’s bookplate), include: Walter, Dorothy. Lovecraft and Benefit Street. 1 of 150 copies. Driftwood Press, 1943. [Joshi III-C-25]. * Scott, W. Townley. “The Haunter of the Dark: Some Notes on…Lovecraft” in Books at Brown, Vol. VI, No. 3, March 1944. [Joshi III-D-555]. * Grant-Hadley. Rhode Island on Lovecraft. Dec. 1945. [Joshi III-C-14]. * Publisher’s Weekly. 2 copies: “News from the Rare Book Sellers” by Jacob Blanck, Vol. 148, No. 25, 2726-27. Dec. 22, 1945 & Vol. 150, No. 22, 3046-47. Nov. 30, 1946. (Notes on the hoax surrounding the mysterious / mythical Necronomicon). [Joshi III-D-46]. * Saturday Review of Literature, Vol. XXX, No.16. April 19, 1947. * An Infrquent Catalogue, 1954. House of El Dief: Lew David Feldman. Jamaica, NY: Lew David Feldman. With Lovecraft selections for sale. * The University of Detroit Quarterly, Fresco: Howard Phillips Lovecraft Memorial Symposium. Vol. 8, No. 3. Spring, 1958. * Brown University Library Staff Bulletin, Vol. 23, No. 3. With “Special Collections, III. The Howard Phillips Lovecraft Collection” (John Hay Library) by SKC. Jan. 1962. * “H.P. Lovecraft: Genius of the Macabre” by Laurence Goldstein in the Herald Review, Vol. 36, Jan. 1966. (With Louttit’s subscription label addressed to Brown University). * A Bibliographic Catalog of the largest collection ever offered for sale of the works of Clark Ashton Smith & H.P. Lovecraft. Roy A. Squires, June 1968. [Joshi III-G-iv-7]. * Bloch, Robert, Fritz Leiber, T.E.D. Klein. The First World Fantasy Convention: Three Authors Remember. Loosely laid in is a typed letter to Mrs. Louttit, signed by Marc Michaud, expressing his thanks for her kind letter and states: “While I never had the pleasure of meeting your husband, I am well aware of the many fine things he did for Brown University and in particular the John Hay Library, where I have worked since first coming to Brown. Prof. Sherman has always spoken highly of Mr. Louttit, and I am sure that your husband’s memory will live on with the many fine volumes he donated to Brown over the years.” On Necronomicon letterhead, dated Feb. 1, 1981. Also with Vol.I, No. 3 of the Necronomicon Notes (1980). Necronomicon Press, 1980. * Catalogue No. 78 of Philip C. Duschnes listing The Necronomicon (Item 511) for sale. Gives a full catalogue entry for the book, as written by Abdul Alhazred, translated from Arabic into Latin by Olaus Wormius, published in Madrid, 1647. This entry was hoax created by Mr. Duschnes. This entry shook up the antiquarian book trade and caused a major confusion to Lovecraft scholars / collectors. The Necronomicon was believed to be an ancient book of demonology, which existed only in Lovecraft’s mind. Includes two related newspaper clippings (from Oct. 13 and 20, 1946 Bookman’s Galley, Joshi III-D-551, of which whole copies are exceedingly rare), laid in. * Plus, a few paper items, including: “The Ten-Cent Ivory Tower” by John Wilstach, 6 pp. extracted from Esquire, 25, No. 1 (Jan. 1946). (With Louttit’s loose bookplate). [Joshi III-G-iv-11]; “Howard Phillips Lovecraft as His Wife Remembers Him” by Sonia H. Davis the article clipping from The Providence Journal newspaper, 64, No. 8 (Aug. 22, 1948). [Joshi III-D-134]; and one other related newspaper clipping. Together, 33 volumes + various related paper items. Illustrations. 8vo. 14 cloth-bound, all but one in jackets; rest wrappers, some placed inside old envelopes with typed titles, presumably by Louttit himself. First Editions, first printings (except two).

Exceedingly rare and important Lovecraft collection, with special provenance. Nearly every book and item assembled here is from the library of William Easton Louttit of Providence, Rhode Island, most containing his bookplate. Has every significant Arkham House book, scarce booklets, catalogues and other interesting ephemeral pieces. Mr. Louttit was the official archivist for the John Hay Library at Brown University during the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s. He was an avid collector of material by or about John Hay as well as H.P. Lovecraft. He also donated many rare and early Rhode Island manuscripts and several Lovecraft related items. According to the University’s website, their Lovecraft collection includes “Extensive holdings of manuscripts, letters, editions…works in all languages, periodicals, biographical and critical works, and many supportive collections of manuscript and printed materials of Lovecraft friends and associates.” The John Hay Library at Brown University holds the largest special collection of H.P. Lovecraft material for public display. Many of which due to the contributions of Mr. Louttit. As most Lovecraft followers know, his readership was limited during his life and it wasn't until the late 1930's (just after his death) that there was a great appreciation for his significance to the horror genre and to 20th century American literature. Lovecraft has been hailed as the 20th century equivalent of Edgar Allan Poe and wrote in a style he called "cosmic horror."