Details
POE, EDGAR ALLAN. Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque. Philadelphia: Lea and Blanchard, 1840. 2 vols., 8vo, original purple muslin, printed paper spine labels, spine faded, stains on covers, free endpapers lacking in vol. 1 and its front inner hinge broken with stain at gutter of title page, three-inch split at front outer joint of vol. 1, brown half morocco slipcase. FIRST EDITION, one of 750 copies; in voll. 2 page 213 is correctly numbered and on page 219 the "i" in "ing," line 13 up, and the hyphen at the end of line 6 up are both below the line; with 4 pp. of advertisements containing "Opinions" of this work at the front of vol. 2. BAL 16133; Heartman & Canny, pp. 49-54.
Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque contains the twenty-five stories which Poe had written up to 1840, all but one having appeared previously in periodicals. Although a commercial failure when published, the work represented a milestone in Poe's career, being the culmination of his efforts to get his prose into volume form. The book collected two of Poe's most enduring stories: "Ms. Found in a Bottle" and "The Fall of the House of Usher" (its first book appearance). (2)
Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque contains the twenty-five stories which Poe had written up to 1840, all but one having appeared previously in periodicals. Although a commercial failure when published, the work represented a milestone in Poe's career, being the culmination of his efforts to get his prose into volume form. The book collected two of Poe's most enduring stories: "Ms. Found in a Bottle" and "The Fall of the House of Usher" (its first book appearance). (2)
Provenance
John Salmon, ownership inscription dated "Boston 1840" on fron free endpaper of vol. 2 -- Initials and date "H.W.G. 1866" written on title page of vol. 1 and flyleaf of vol. 2 -- Frank J. Hogan, bookplate -- Jean Hersholt, bookplate.