CROWLEY, Aleister ( J. F. C. Fuller / Victor Neuburg Association Copy ).

Songs of the Spirit [ with two loosely inserted related letters ].

Foyers: S.P.R.T., 1905. First Edition Thus. Hardcover. Small Octavo. x + 110pp. Original brown paper-covered boards with white buckram spine with paper title label. Almost certainly a copy belonging to Crowley's friend and for a time, chief disciple, Capt. J. F. C. Fuller. Although not marked as such, it contains, loosely inserted, two autograph letters signed which could only have come from Fuller. (I) is a 6 1/4 x 4 3/4 inch "letter card" with imprinted stamp (with postmark), addressed to Capt. Fuller in Battersea, London, from Victor B. Neuburg in Sussex. It is dated April 2, 1908 and totals about 100 words, with Neuburg thanking Fuller for sending him a "magnificent book" (perhaps "The Star in the West") and suggesting that Fuller and his wife might come down to visit. (II) A German postcard, with imprinted stamp, postmarked Leipzig, 18.5.08, addressed to Mrs Fuller, The Lodge, Sydenham Hill, London. This was the German-born Margarethe Augusta Fuller (nee Karnatz: 1880-1968) who Capt. Fuller had married in December 1906. The card has ten lines of handwritten text in German on the verso, which is unreadable to the cataloguer.
Writing of "Songs of the Spirit" in his "Confessions", Crowley observed: "The wish-phantasm' of the book is principally that of a wise and holy man living in a lonely tower, master of the secrets of nature..In practice, I was living for pleasure."
"Songs of the Spirit" was first published by Kegan Paul in 1898 in an edition of 51 special copies, and regular 300 copies printed on machine-made paper. Although this edition is described as a "New Impression" it seems most likely that it is actually made up of left-over unbound sheets of the first edition which Crowley acquired from Kegan Paul and reissued under his Society for the Propagation of Religious Truth imprint, having added new half-title and title-pages that reflect the change in publisher. Technically it is therefore either a "First Edition Thus" or "First Edition - Second Issue."
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 "letter-card" and postcard both show a little light wear, but in VG+ condition. There is a small darkened patch to the bottom corner of the front board and the corners of the rear board and head and tail of spine are very lightly bruised. Title label a little darkened, but 100% intact. Some pale shadowing to the first and last leaves. Still a tight, clean, VG+ copy, with a most interesting provenance and extras! (no dust jacket issued). Item #65331

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