POE, EDGAR ALLAN | Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque. Philadelphia: Lea and Blanchard 1840

The Property of a Gentleman

POE, EDGAR ALLAN

Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque. Philadelphia: Lea and Blanchard 1840

2 volumes, 12 mo. Publisher's purple muslin cloth, printed ruled paper labels on spines; the sides less faded than usual and with much of the original color retained, spines faded but labels are virtually completely intact and unlike so many other examples, fully legible. Text is has only very light intermittent foxing, in all a superior copy of work easily found in much lesser condition. Publisher's notices present in Vol. 2, which has page 213 correctly numbered. Half-morocco slipcase and chemises.

First edition, from a printing of perhaps only 750 copies and containing two of Poe's most enduring stories: "Ms. Found in a Bottle" and "The Fall of the House of Usher."

"These volumes mark the culmination of Poe's effort, beginning as early as 1834 to get his prose tales into volume form. It is a milestone in his career as a prose writer, but was a failure commercially" (Heartman & Canny). Indeed, it seems that in the end Poe's only payment for the present work was a few gratis copies from the publisher to distribute among friends.

A difficult work to acquire in true collector's condition. 

REFERENCE:

BAL 16133; Hartmann and Canny 49-54; NYPL/Gordan 479; Robertson 46-49; Yale/Gimbel 3

PROVENANCE:

Dauber and Pine