Early Printed Books, Manuscripts and Decorative Prints
SYMONDS, John. The Great Beast. The Life and Magick of Aleister Crowley
London, Macdonald, 1971.
£500
FRIST EDITION. 8vo, pp. 413. Bound in paper over boards with gilt title to spine. Original dust jacket in very good condition. Inscribed by the author on front endpaper: “photos of AC, pre 1914, by Arnold Gerte”. Annotated and underlined throughout by Symonds. Verso of rear free endpaper and part of pastedown full annotated in reference to p. 153. A very good copy.
SYMONDS, John. The Great Beast. The Life and Magick of Aleister Crowley
London, Macdonald, 1971.
£500
FRIST EDITION. 8vo, pp. 413. Bound in paper over boards with gilt title to spine. Original dust jacket in very good condition. Inscribed by the author on front free endpaper: “To Michael / from your old friend John / with affectionate regards / 20th September 1971”. A fine copy.
CROWLEY, Aleister (SYMONDS, John and Kenneth GRANT, Eds). The Complete Astrological Writings
London, Duckworth, 1974.
£150
FIRST EDITION. 8vo, pp. 224. Frontispiece plate and a few illustrations and tables throughout. Bound in dark blue buckram over boards, gilt title to spine, purple pastedowns and original dust jacket in very good condition. Autograph of Kenneth Grant (?) on the blank recto of the frontispiece plate. An excellent copy.
CROWLEY, Aleister (SYMONDS, John and Kenneth GRANT, Eds). The Confessions of Aleister Crowley
London, Jonathan Cape, 1969.
£750
FIRST EDITION. 8vo, pp. 960, with illustrated frontispiece and 10 plates of b&w photographic reproductions. Presentation copy inscribed by one of the editors, John Symonds, on the front free endpaper with a dedication to his friend scholar and poet Michael Hamburger: “My dear Mickey / Well here at last is my / beastly book. Hope you’ll / find a place for it on / your shelves / Affectionately / John / 18th October 1969”. Bound in quarter cloth over boards covered in grey marbled paper, gilt title to spine, and original dust jacket. A fine copy.
WILSON, Colin. The Occult
London, Hodder and Stoughton, 1971.
£250
FIRST EDITION. 8VO, pp. 601. Bound in black synthetic buckram, title gilt to spine. Original dust jacket in very good condition. Author’s presentation copy dedicated to John Symonds, novelist and biographer of Aleister Crowley, inscribed on the front free endpaper: “For John Symonds / warm regards / Colin W. / Dec 71.” A fine copy.
CROWLEY, Aleister (SYMONDS, John and Kenneth GRANT, Eds). Magick
London, Routledge & Keegan Paul, 1973.
£400
FIRST EDITION. 8vo, pp. 511. Blue cloth over boards, title gilt to spine, original dust jacket in perfect condition. Occasionally annotated and underlined by the editor. Green top edge. A fine copy.
SYMONDS, John. La Grande Bestia. Vita e Magia di Aleister Crowley
Roma, Edizioni Mediterranee, 1972.
£250
8vo, pp. 483 (5). Paperback. Inscribed by the author on half-title, presentation copy dedicated to a couple of friends: “To Ursula and Patrick / from the author / Spring 1973”. This Ursula was granddaughter to D. H. Lawrence. A very good copy.
SYMONDS, John. Madame Blavatsky. Medium and Magician
London, Odhams Press Limited, 1959.
£250
FIRST EDITION. 8vo, pp. 254, frontispiece plate, 4 plates throughout and several illustrations in various sizes, all b&w photographic reproductions. Inscribed on front endpaper by the author and dedicated to his dear friend scholar and poet Michael Hamburger: “ To Mickey / from your old friend / John / 14th September 1959”. Green buckram and original dust jacket, slightly damaged along edges. An excellent copy.
SYMONDS, John. Light Over Water
London, John Baker for The Unicorn Press, 1963.
£175
FIRST EDITION. 8vo, pp. 208. Green buckram with silver lettering to spine. Original dust jacket. With a insert postcard from the author to his friend scholar and poet Michael Hamburger, dated 24 April ’68. A fine copy.
SYMONDS, John. Light Over Water
London, John Baker for The Unicorn Press, 1963.
£200
FIRST EDITION. 8vo, pp. 208. Green buckram with silver lettering to spine. Original dust jacket, just very a light dampstaining on front cover. Inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper to his sister Eleanor Vallange: “Eleanor / from John / Oct 63”. It includes a postcard from a niece of Eleanor, named Jane, to the dedicatee, dated 1st April 1964. A fine copy.