Editor · March 1923–May/June/July 1924

Edwin Baird

First editor of Weird Tales. He put out the premiere issue and bought H. P. Lovecraft’s first submissions to the magazine.


Baird was born 28 June 1886 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and died 27 September 1954. Henneberger hired him from Detective Tales to edit the new magazine. His first issue is dated March 1923.

He bought the five stories Lovecraft first submitted, insisting they be retyped double-spaced. “Dagon” appeared in October 1923. The last issue to list Baird as editor is the combined May/June/July 1924 number; that issue was assembled by Farnsworth Wright and Otis Adelbert Kline.

He remained editor of Detective Tales (later Real Detective Tales) after leaving Weird Tales.

A working list dated his last issue April 1924. The masthead record opened here runs through the combined May/June/July 1924 issue. That end date is flagged until it is checked against a digitized copy of the issue.

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The Unlocking Shelf Public domain Issues listing Edwin Baird as editor. The combined May/June/July 1924 number is the last to list him; that issue was assembled by Farnsworth Wright and Otis Adelbert Kline. Title Role Issues Status Weird Tales, March 1923 Editor Vol. 1, no. 1 Public domain Weird Tales, April 1923 Editor Vol. 1, no. 2 Public domain Weird Tales, May 1923 Editor Vol. 1, no. 3 Public domain Weird Tales, June 1923 Editor Vol. 1, no. 4 Public domain Weird Tales, July–August 1923 Editor Vol. 2, no. 1 Public domain Weird Tales, September 1923 Editor Vol. 2, no. 2 Public domain Weird Tales, October 1923 Editor Vol. 2, no. 3 Public domain Weird Tales, November 1923 Editor Vol. 2, no. 4 Public domain Weird Tales, December 1923 / January 1924 Editor Vol. 3, no. 1 Public domain Weird Tales, February 1924 Editor Vol. 3, no. 2 Public domain Weird Tales, March 1924 Editor Vol. 3, no. 3 Public domain Weird Tales, April 1924 Editor Vol. 4, no. 1 Public domain Weird Tales, May/June/July 1924 Editor Vol. 4, no. 2 (combined) Public domain

The Unlocking Shelf

Issues listing Edwin Baird as editor. The combined May/June/July 1924 number is the last to list him; that issue was assembled by Farnsworth Wright and Otis Adelbert Kline.

TitleRoleIssues
Weird Tales, March 1923EditorVol. 1, no. 1
Weird Tales, April 1923EditorVol. 1, no. 2
Weird Tales, May 1923EditorVol. 1, no. 3
Weird Tales, June 1923EditorVol. 1, no. 4
Weird Tales, July–August 1923EditorVol. 2, no. 1
Weird Tales, September 1923EditorVol. 2, no. 2
Weird Tales, October 1923EditorVol. 2, no. 3
Weird Tales, November 1923EditorVol. 2, no. 4
Weird Tales, December 1923 / January 1924EditorVol. 3, no. 1
Weird Tales, February 1924EditorVol. 3, no. 2
Weird Tales, March 1924EditorVol. 3, no. 3
Weird Tales, April 1924EditorVol. 4, no. 1
Weird Tales, May/June/July 1924EditorVol. 4, no. 2 (combined)