LOVECRAFT, H. P. (1890-1937). The Outsider and Others, Sauk City, Arkham House, 1939, 8vo, original cloth, facsimile dust-jacket. FIRST EDITION of "the first major collection of Lovecraft's tales" (Joshi) and the first book printed by Arkham House. RARE.

LOVECRAFT, H. P. (1890-1937).  The Outsider and Others ... Collected by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei. Sauk City, Wisconsin: Arkham House, 1939. Large 8vo (231 x 155mm). Half title. Original black cloth, the spine lettered in gilt (some faint dust-soiling), the facsimile dust-jacket by Gerry de la Ree (printed c.1970s) after Virgil Finlay's original design with the price of $5.00 unclipped (slight creasing and short tears to turn-ins, not affecting letters). Provenance: "Supplied by The Seven Bookhunters, Station O. Box 22, New York II, N.Y. Out-of-Print Books" (small blue label at the foot of the rear pastedown). FIRST EDITION of "the first major collection of Lovecraft's tales" (Joshi) and the first book printed by Arkham House which was founded by the editors of the present work to specialise in the publication of "weird fiction", and which E. F. Bleiler described as "... the beginning of serious specialist publishing of fantastic fiction in America." A printed note at the end states: "Twelve hundred copies of this book have been printed by The Collegiate Press, George Banta Publishing Company, from linotype Caslon on White Winnebago Eggshell. The binding cloth is Bancroft Arrestox black natural finish". The introduction by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei opens: "[H. P. Lovecraft] is dead now: on March 15th, 1937, in his forty-seventh year: and in his death was lost to twentieth century American letters one of its most rational minds, a gentleman of the eighteenth century, a master of cosmic horror. His passing aroused spontaneous grief among all who knew him - not alone for the qualities of the man, but for the unique position he held in the world of contemporary literature." Please note that the dust-jacket has been photographed in its modern protective archival Mylar wrapper, thereby avoiding any risk of damage through its temporary removal. Bleiler The Guide to Supernatural Fiction (1983) 1040: "... a major book in the history of American supernatural fiction ... reveals a vivid imagination, a remarkable ability at the creation of mythic thought, an excellent command of scholarly detail, and many of the indescribable characteristics of a powerful mind at work ... ; Currey Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors: A Bibliography (1979) p.324; Jaffery The Arkham House Companion (1992) 1; Joshi H. P. Lovecraft: A Comprehensive Bibliography (2009) A15: "... First major collection of Lovecraft's tales, published posthumously by the firm founded by Derleth and Wandrei; 1,268 copies." RARE. ***Please note the important amendment to the description of the dust-jacket.***