Books

First edition, second and earliest obtainable issue, of the first modern vampire novel, together with the first edition, second issue, of Byron's Mazeppa, which includes the first appearance in print of his vampiric tale, "A Fragment," the inspiration for Polidori's story. These copies are from the library of Humphrey Senhouse (1773-1842), a close friend of the poet Robert Southey, with his ownership signatures on the verso of the front wrappers. Senhouse and Southey travelled to Switzerland together in 1817, where they discovered Shelley's notorious entry in a hotel guest book describing himself as an atheist. The story was shared widely and is mentioned in The Vampyre in the prefatory "Extract of a Letter from Geneva," which describes Shelley as "a gentleman well known for extravagance of doctrine, and for his daring, in their profession, even to sign himself with the title atheoi in the Album of Chamouny" (p. xiv). The passage is here marked, perhaps by Senhouse, with a penciled line in the margin. The books remained in the Senhouse family for over a century, passing to Humphrey's great-grandson Roger Senhouse (1899-1970), the Bloomsburyite and lover of Lytton Strachey, with his manuscript notes loosely inserted. The Vampyre was conceived in 1816 at the Villa Diodati on Lake Geneva, during the same competitive storytelling evening as Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. The manuscript lay unpublished for three years until Henry Colburn came into its possession, First edition, second and earliest obtainable issue, of the first modern vampire novel, together with the first edition, second issue, of Byron's Mazeppa, which includes the first appearance in print of his vampiric tale, "A Fragment," the inspiration for Polidori's story. These copies are from the library of Humphrey Senhouse (1773-1842), a close friend of the poet Robert Southey, with his ownership signatures on the verso of the front wrappers. Senhouse and Southey travelled to Switzerland together in 1817, where they discovered Shelley's notorious entry in a hotel guest book describing himself as an atheist. The story was shared widely and is mentioned in The Vampyre in the prefatory "Extract of a Letter from Geneva," which describes Shelley as "a gentleman well known for extravagance of doctrine, and for his daring, in their profession, even to sign himself with the title atheoi in the Album of Chamouny" (p. xiv). The passage is here marked, perhaps by Senhouse, with a penciled line in the margin. The books remained in the Senhouse family for over a century, passing to Humphrey's great-grandson Roger Senhouse (1899-1970), the Bloomsburyite and lover of Lytton Strachey, with his manuscript notes loosely inserted. The Vampyre was conceived in 1816 at the Villa Diodati on Lake Geneva, during the same competitive storytelling evening as Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. The manuscript lay unpublished for three years until Henry Colburn came into its possession, publishing it in his New Monthly Magazine with the subtitle "A Tale by Lord Byron." It was soon issued in book form by Sherwood, Neely, and Jones, retaining Byron's name on the title. Asserting his rights as author, Polidori sought an injunction against Colburn, while Byron disowned the piece and, by way of a disclaimer, sent his own version, "A Fragment," to John Murray, who published it at the end of Mazeppa. "Although by no means the first appearance of the vampire in European literature, Polidori's tale established the prototype later developed in Sheridan Lefanu's Carmilla and Bram Stoker's Dracula" (ODNB). Though the book was successful, Polidori received neither recognition nor remuneration from it; he died two years later by suicide, drinking prussic acid. Byron's name was removed from the title page in the second issue. Although the introductory "Extract of a Letter from Geneva" is retained, including the scandalous suggestion of Byron "having in his house two sisters [Mary Shelley and Claire Clairmont] as the partakers of his revels" (p. xiv). This suggestion was removed for the third issue, with the first gathering reset from 24 to 23 lines. READ MORE Two works, octavo. Uncut in original drab paper wrappers, front wrappers lettered in manuscript. With 16 pp. publisher's advertisements dated 2 November 1818 and 4 pp. dated 1 March 1818 at the rear of The Vampyre; 8 pp. advertisements dated July 1819 at the rear of Mazeppa. Spines expertly restored, faint damp stains to wrappers and outer leaves of Mazeppa, very good copies. Henry R. Viets, "The London Editions of Polidori's 'The Vampyre,'" Bibliographical Society of America, 1969.

The Vampyre was written by John William Polidori in 1819. It is considered one of the first modern vampire stories and was inspired by a story fragment written by Lord Byron during the famous 1816 gathering at the Villa Diodati, where Mary Shelley also conceived Frankenstein. Polidori's novella introduced the aristocratic vampire archetype, which influenced later vampire literature, including Bram Stoker's Dracula.