POE, Edgar Allan; [Ferdinand Huszti HORVATH, Illus.]. The Raven together with the Philosophy of Composition. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1930.
Large 4to., black publisher's boards, ruled in blind and embossed in gilt with raven design to upper board; in the original publisher's card slipcase with matching printed gold labels; grey-green endpapers; pp. [vi], 3-22, [lxxiv]; each stanza illustrated with a black and white image; a near-fine example, slightly bruised at head and foot; the slipcase a little worn around the labels and edges, beginning to crack but holding firm; very good overall.
First edition thus, with these illustrations.
Horvath's singularly atmospheric illustrations pair beautifully with Poe's sinister epic poem. Born to Jewish parents in Hungary, he studied art in Paris before enlisting as reserve officer for the Austro-Hungarian army where he was wounded, captured, and spent two and a half years in prison camps. He spent the time, where possible, sculpting and drawing. It was during this time that the illustrations for The Raven were first concieved, but it was to be almost fifteen years before this came to fruition.
Also includes 'The Philosophy of Composition', in which Poe elucidates upon a theory about how good writers write when they write well.
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