The Outsider and Others

Author: H. P. Lovecraft.
Publisher: Arkham House, Sauk City, Wisconsin.
Binding: Hardcover.
Publication date: 1939.
Number of pages: xiv + 553 numbered pages.
Original price: $5.00.
Number of copies: 1.268 copies printed.


Back of dust-jacket

Spine

Front of dust-jacket

Back of Board

Spine

Front of Board

The Outsider and Others was the first book published by Arkham House. The volume is named for the Lovecraft short story The Outsider. The boards have the spine lettered in gilt.

The dust jacket art is a montage of drawings by Virgil Finlay for Weird Tales magazine, of which only one or two originally illustrated Lovecraft stories. Tekst on dust-jacket reads: < p>
 "... Jacket design for THE OUTSIDER AND OTHERS is by Virgil Finlay of Rochester, New York, another friend of Lovecraft's, an artist whose vivid and imaginative illustrations have long enhanced the pages of Weird Tales and periodicals."

One copy of the book was inscribed by Virgil Finlay:

 on the back flap: "This jacket is a photographic composite of early Weird Tales drawings, probably only one or two were for H.P.L. stories - I wish I might have found time for more of his work which I did admire. Virgil Finlay."
 in the book: "To Gerry de la Ree, In memory of HPL, a friend and correspondent whose best works are published herein. My dust jacket for this volume has become even more of a rarity than the book itself."

At least one copy is signed 'Virgil Finlay | Nov. 1939 | New York' by Virgil Finlay on the front free endpaper.

Accompanying a copy with a dark olive green proof jacket, inscribed at Christmas, 1939 by co-publisher Donald Wandrei, there are several remarkable letters and ephemeral pieces.

 In a 1937 letter, Howard Wandrei (brother of Donald) writes Virgil Finlay about his own fantasy drawings, announcing that he is to do the artwork for the collected edition of Lovecraft (what became The Outsider and Others). In a one page typed letter, signed, to Finlay, dated 5 October [1939], Derleth writes, "Don tells me you are at work on a cover for The Ousider and Others. I am delighted to know it, and I am sure that you will pay adequate tribute to HPL in your work on the jacket of his first major book..Don and I stand to divide the loss of circa $1500.. I am anxious to see the jacket design when it is finished...". In a one page, typed letter, signed, and dated Nov. 14, 1939, co-publisher Donald Wandrei writes Virgil Finlay regarding the above proof dust jacket and the decision to issue the final one in blue, "..The green was a particularly detestable and odious color.."


Derleth discusses at some length why black was eliminated as well. A carbon of a letter from the manufacturer to Derleth discusses these problems as well as some difficulties with the binding. In addition, there is a typed letter from Derleth to Mrs. Eddy about the book and her husband's Weird Tales contributions. There are two announcements from Derleth and Wandrei for the book; a duplicated one is clearly a preliminary effort and does not mention the future publisher, Arkham House, and begs for subscribers; a one page type-set announcement is a more professional presentation and refers to Arkham House.

In 1974, New Jersey collector and publisher Gerry de la Ree produced very good facsimiles of the dust-jacket.

Apparently, Gerry de la Ree had contacted August Derleth about replacement jackets, but Derleth replied that there had never been extra jackets for that title. The facsimile that de la Ree produced to fill this gap was made from an excellent photographic reproduction of an original but is ever so slightly out of focus in some areas. Since it was not printed from the original plates it was not a second state jacket, though it is sometimes mistakenly referred to as such.

In Fantasy Collectors Annual ~ 1974, Gerry de la Ree presents a three page account - titled 'The Story Behind a Dust Jacket' - on Virgil Finlay's cover illustration for The Outsider and Others.

In 'Horrors And Unpleasantries: A Bibliographical History & Collector's Price Guide To Arkham House' by Sheldon Jaffrey (Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 1982), an account is given in the 'Bibliography and Price Guide' section on pages 12 and 13.


Book cover

Pages 12 and 13

Acoording to this article, in 1982 the price had already risen to $650.00.

Contents of The Outsider and Others:

References: