777. Vel Prolegomena Symbolica Ad Systemam Sceptico-Mysticae Viae Explicandae, Fundamentum Hieroglyphicum Sanctissimorum Scientiae Summae.
London: Walter Scott Publishing, 1909. First Edition. Hardcover, Octavo, x pp [+ ii pp tipped-in errata] + 54pp + [(ii) of (iv)pp adverts]. Original red buckram, bevelled edges. Complete with the rare Tree of Life diagram with additional errata on verso but lacking the detachable subscription form for "The Equinox" which should be bound in at the rear of the volume. Yorke 57. Edition limited to 500 copies. The first edition of Crowley's often reprinted Qabalistic compendium: one of the classics of twentieth century occultism. Originally from the library of Henry David Kelf (1875 - 1951) with a generic bookplate with his ownership signature on the front pastedown, and his ownership signature on the front free endpaper. Kelf was a pharmaceutical chemist who appears to have been member of either the original Golden Dawn, or the Alpha et Omega, or both (it seems that early GD documents survive with his name and magical motto "Nisi Dominus Frustra"). More recently from the collection of Clive Harper with his discrete book-label neatly tipped in at the rear. Harper is well-known as the bibliographer of Austin Osman Spare, for updating the Aleister Crowley bibliography in the 2011 Teitan Press collection of Gerald Yorke's writings, and as someone who has lent his expertise to numerous other publications. The label can easily be removed without affecting the page, although it would be a shame not to preserve this record of the book's provenance. Copies of "777" with the Tree of Life diagram / Additional errata sheet present are increasingly uncommon (being loosely inserted it was often lost). In this case the unnecessarily generous margins of the sheet have been cropped, and it has been tipped onto the main errata page. As noted the detachable "Equinox" subscription is missing - perhaps Kelf himself used it to subscribe. Otherwise it is an unusually bright, clean copy. The spine has just a hint of fading and the corners are lightly bruised, there is a little uneven browning to the endpapers, which also show some faint tape shadow (which probably once secured a home-made dust jacket, which explains why the boards are so clean). A touch of foxing to the page edges, but were it not for the wanting subscription form it would rate as a VG+ copy, and scarce thus, especially with an interesting provenance. Item #65138
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