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Frontispiece illustrations by D.G. Rossetti for his sister Christina Rossetti's work Goblin Market and Other Poems. 1862

Eerie Selections from the Archives

  • Vanessa Cardona Ocegueda
  • October 31, 2022

Find a weird, eerie, or uncanny book in Archives and Special Collections

The end of October is here, and we at Archives and Special Collections want to add to the Halloween spirit by featuring four eerie selections from our rare book collection.

Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1929)

Dr. Jekyll is a respected and reputable man. Mr. Hyde is a selfish and self-indulgent man. This riveting gothic novella by Robert Louis Stevenson reveals that both are the same man. 

An illustration of a well-dressed man in a top hat shoving another man.
Illustration on page 19 by W. A. Diggins created for this edition of Jekyll and Hyde

This edition of the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is one of 1,200 copies made by the Pynson Printers of New York in 1929. Archives and Special Collections has copy Number 8 signed by W. A. Dwiggins, the illustrator. This copy also includes a facsimile of the author’s manuscript.

A graphic showing a busy Victorian street.
Illustration on page 15 by W. A. Diggins created for this edition of Jekyll and Hyde
Script writing on lined paper with sections crossed out and notes written in the margins. The title reads "Henry Jekyll's First Statement of the Case."
Facsimile of a page of the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde manuscript by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Goblin Market and Other Poems (1862)

Two sisters, Laura and Lizzie, live near a stream where they can hear goblin merchants selling fruit every twilight. One day, one of the sisters decides to eat the fruit. What happens to the sisters?

A woman poised to cut her hair surrounded by anthropomorphic animals (most likely goblins). Caption reads "Buy from us with a golden curl"
Illustrated scene from Goblin Market depicting Laura clipping her hair to buy the goblin’s fruit.
A cover page with an illustration of two young sisters embracing while sleeping. A bubble above them shows goblins with fruit baskets.
Titlepage for Goblin Market and Other Poems, 1862.

Goblin Market by Christina Georgina Rossetti is the first of many poems found in this 1862 first edition of Goblin Market and Other Poems. The frontispiece, additional title page, and cover design are illustrated by her brother, Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Rossetti claimed her poems were “intended” for children, but readers of all ages can enjoy her poetry.

Shadow forms: a collection of occult stories (1925)

A collection of stories that feature weird and otherworldly tales. Some common topics of these tales include mystery, magic, and sorcery. 

A grotesque man holding a box.
Frontispiece of Shadow Forms illustrated by Homer Conant, 1925

This book is a 1925 first-edition print by Henry P. Hall. It includes a colored frontispiece by Homer Conant. Hall claims the tales included in Shadow forms: a collection of occult stories are inspired by “Eastern folklore, legends or tales.”

The Haunted Looking Glass: Ghost Stories (1959)

A cover with an illustration of a mirror depicting a ghostly figure under the moon.
Front cover for The Haunted Looking Glass, compiled and illustrated by Edward Gorey, 1959

Ghosts take the main stage in this collection of short stories compiled and illustrated by Edward Gorey. The Haunted Looking Glass includes ghost stories from various authors that may vary in their notability and “age,” including Robert Louis Stevenson (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde), Bram Stoker (Dracula), and Charles Dickens. In total, there are 12 different ghost stories recommended by the author for children 11 and up.

An illustration of railroad tracks leading to a dark tunnel.
Illustration by Edward Gorey for “The Signalman” by Charles Dickens.
An illustration of two men standing over a body on an exam table. One man with a cape has his arm over the other man in comfort.
Illustration by Edward Gorey for “The Body Snatcher” by Robert Louis Stevenson.
An illustration of a room with a chair, a black cat on the chair, and rope hanging from the ceiling behind the chair.
Illustration by Edward Gorey for “The Judge’s House” by Bram Stoker.

All of these delightfully spooky books are available to view in Archives and Special Collections. We invite you to visit us in Shields Library, if you dare.

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