Do you happen to own any manuscripts by Lovecraft? Any letters between him and his correspondents?
If so, perhaps you could help further the cause of Lovecraft studies! Most of Lovecraft’s
manuscripts are housed in libraries and historical societies, but many are in the hands of
private individuals. Lovecraft scholars S.T. Joshi and David E. Schultz have been assembling an
electronic archive of all Lovecraft’s works and have undertaken the ambitious project of
publishing Lovecraft’s collected letters (which will likely amount to 25 volumes). Your
manuscripts may prove to be a vital piece in the puzzle we are assembling.
If you do happen to own any Lovecraft-related manuscripts and would be willing to
reproduce them, please
contact us. Please note that
Lovecraft’s handwriting is notoriously difficult to read, so we’d prefer scans,
photographs, or even photocopies over transcriptions. However, note that Lovecraft often wrote
on large sheets of paper, leaving little or no margin. Due to the size of standard photocopy
paper, photocopies of manuscripts frequently lose text near the edge of the paper.
In addition, we would like to see any text in Lovecraft’s hand, regardless
of the source. Whether it’s postscripts on envelopes, notes on enclosures, or notations on
the picture side of postcards—images of both sides of postcards are preferred, even if not
written upon—this information is invaluable. Also, seeing the postmarks on envelopes is
helpful, since Lovecraft often did not write actual dates in letters to close
correspondents.
Most of Lovecraft’s manuscripts are housed at Brown University’s John
Hay Library. This collection was begun soon after Lovecraft’s death by his correspondent
and friend, Robert H. Barlow. The manuscripts there now serve as original research material for
visiting Lovecraft scholars from all over the world. If you are interested in making your
manuscripts permanently available, please consider donating them to the
H.P. Lovecraft
Collection at Brown University.
Thank you for any help you can provide!
