The Shunned House.
Athol, Mass: W. Paul Cook/The Recluse Press, 1928. First edition, first printing. Unbound sheets, top edge uncut, housed in custom clam-shell box. 21.6 x 14.1cm. Octavo. [1-8], 9-58, [59]. Very faint toning to edges, else near fine to fine. This copy is void of any loss or glue stains, which are typical among the unbound sheets. Item #218050
Preface by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.
While no one knows the exact number, approximately 300 copies were printed in 1928, but none were bound. In 1934, Barlow, Lovecraft's literary executor, received around 225 copies of unbound sheets, of which he distributed only abut 50. Upon Barlow's death, Arkham House obtained and distributed the remaining 150 copies. This particular copy is one of only about 50 sets of unbound sheets distributed by August Derleth prior to binding the other 100 sets in 1961. The copyright notice is canceled by the first state of the Arkham House paste-down notice, with titles in bold.
Like the house whose story it tells, the history of this publication is a bit strange and mysterious. It is, as Joshi notes, Lovecraft's "legendary stillborn" first work, never having intended to live out such a disjointed and uncertain history.
Price: $10,500.00