1819 The Vampyre ; A Tale : John William Polidori (Byron Interest) Vampire

POLIDORI, John William  :The Vampyre; A Tale

London: Sherwood, Neely, and Jones, 1819. First edition, third issue with the preliminary gathering reset to 23 lines and "Imost" for "almost" on the final line of p.36. Half-title present. Concludes with Extract of a Letter containing an account of Lord Byron's Residence in the Island of Mitylene.

Often considered the first modern vampire story in English literature, the tale was inspired by the famous 1816 summer at Lake Geneva, when Polidori served as physician to Lord Byron.  

A ghost-story competition among Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary Shelley, and Polidori contributed to the creation of Frankenstein and The Vampyre. Lord Ruthen was widely associated with Byron, though Polidori's authorship was initially obscured and the story was originally misattributed to Byron.

PROVENANCE
From the library at Monreith House, Wigtonshire, with the Maxwell family bookplate.

(BS3/TOP)

CONDITION
A good copy. The cloth binding has a little mottling. All contents present including the half-title page. A little light staining to the top corner of the title page and to the following few pages. Overall a good copy of what is undoubtedly a difficult book to find.