Edgar Allan Poe by Reid, Mayne - 1933

Ysleta [Texas]: Edwin B. Hill, 1933. Title page [verso blank], [6]pp. [2] blank pages. One of the most scarce items by a contemporary of Poe. Originally, published by Mayne Reid's widow as "Mayne Reid, a memoir of his life", on pages 9-22, the book quickly fell out of print but it was discovered by Edwin B. Hill and printed by hand in his small Texas press in 1933. It gives an account of Poe's life by a drinking companion who nevertheless was faithful to his wife Virginia and a diligent writer though its economic rewards were miniscule. Unbound (as was typical of most of Reid's words), is has become one of the more scarce contemporary accounts of Poe and highly regarded by critics.