Chicago/NY, F. Tennyson Neely, 1895. A collection of stories that together comprise one of the classics of supernatural horror literature. This is the presumed first issue, in the binding with a salamander on the front cover, and with references to God and Christ that do not appear in the later issues and editions. Also, no inserted frontispiece; page 318 is blank; and the pages bulk 1.5 cm. H.P. Lovecraft read the book in 1927 and incorporated a number of elements of it into his stories of the Cthulhu Mythos. A beautiful copy, with almost none of the darkening to the spine that this title usually shows; very near fine, without dust jacket, presumably as issued. [#034859] SOLD