The Gospel According to St. Bernard Shaw.
Barstow California. Thelema Publishing Company, 1953. First Edition. Hardcover, Quarto, [viii] + 238pp, Original maroon textured limp boards, with simple gilt titling to front board. The duplicated (gestetnered / multigraphed) quarto sheets which make up the text block are secured by a 10 ring spiral back-strip recessed into the binding of the book. A fascinating study of Christianity by Crowley, built around a critique of Shaw's "Androcles and the Lion." Published by Crowley's follower, Karl Germer. The print run of this first edition almost certainly did not exceed 100 copies. Germer moved from Barstow California to Hampton, New Jersey, shortly after publication, and in most copies of the work seen he has struck through "Barstow California" on the title-page and hand-written "Hampton, N.J." in its place. In this volume he has not struck through the publishing place, presumably indicating that this was one of the first copies to be distributed. From the collection of Clive Harper with his 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. Light bump to head of spine. Something has caused a barely-visible oval shaped stain on the lower front cover: about 3 1/2 inches high and 1 1/2 inches wide at it's furthest points. This has bled through leaving a red-yellow stain on the first (blank) leaf, and a yellow mark on the next (blank) leaf. By the time it reaches the next page (the title-page) it is a barely visible brown spot and it does not penetrate the text block any further. Page edges a little thumbed. Were it not for the small stain this would rate as a VG+ copy. A scarce and important work (no dustjacket - none issued). Item #65259
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