Das Herz des Meisters.
(Leipzig): (Collegium pansophicum), (1925). First Edition. Softcover. Small quarto. (9 x 7 1/4 inches). 28pp. Stapled in contemporary cream patterned card wrappers. German language. The first separate edition of "The Heart of the Master." Crowley wrote the text in 1924 and it was first published in the German language collection of Crowleyan texts "Pansophia. Wege Zum Sanktuarium" (alternative title: "Pansophia" Urquelle inneren Lebens ... Abt. VII, Bd. 1) in 1925. On the verso of the title page of this volume it is described as a "Nachdruck aus: "Pansophia" Urquelle inneren Lebens ... Abt. VII, Bd. 1" (i.e. a reprint from "Pansophia ... Abt. VII, Bd. 1," the volume in which it first appeared.) The actual translation of the text is known to have been done by Karl Germer. Curiously this edition is not simply an off-print - not only has the pagination been changed, but the whole text has been reset. In addition to being the first separate German edition, the is also the actual first separate edition, as "The Heart of the Master" was not published in English until 1938, and other translations are much more recent.
This copy is originally from the collection of Arthur E. Richardson, of Surbiton, Surrey, a student of Aleister Crowley's and an enthusiastic member of his A.'. A.'. from the late 1920s up until December 1936. Crowley and Richardson visited each other regularly, and Crowley stayed with him for a time in November, 1936. Richardson was quite wealthy, and clearly provided Crowley with a substantial funds, including guaranteeing the rent on his 66 Redcliffe Gardens flat for 6 months. In return Richardson received instruction, and a wonderful collection of Crowley's books, including what was had been Crowley's own copies of "Konx om Pax" and "Amphora" direct from Crowley's hands. Richardson put serious effort into his studies, making manuscript copies of Crowley works such as "Liber Aleph" and the "Preliminary Comment to Liber Cordis Cincti Serpente," so as to gain a deep familiarity with the works. Clearly the two were very friendly, and Crowley even used to help Richardson's son with his homework. Almost inevitably there was a falling out, apparently caused by Richardson's decision to stop funding Crowley. Details are sketchy, but the Beast wrote in his diary of "Richardson's amazing treachery," (he'd probably changed his mind about paying Crowley's rent). In retaliation Crowley is supposed to have carried out a minor campaign of harrassment and slander against Mrs. Richardson (who presumably pushed her husband to stop wasting money on Crowley) by slipping notes under the doors of the couple's neighbours, accusing her of wanton behaviour.
Richardson's library was dispersed in London in 2007, at which point this volume and a number of others were purchased by Clive Harper from whose collection it now comes. 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.
This edition of "Das Herz des Meisters" was originally published with printed wrappers - this copy has plain patterned cream coloured wrappers. The wrappers are obviously very old and the booklet does not appear to have been re-stapled, so it may be that the plain wrappers are original to it, but a later (?) issue. There should be two unpaginated leaves (4 pages) at the rear which had a short unrelated piece by Heinrich Tränker ("32 Wege der Pansophia" - "The 32 Ways of Pansophia") and an advertisement, but the two leaves have been neatly excised with only the stubs remaining. Why, or by whom this was done is not known.
The wrappers are quite foxed, and the cheap paper on which it is printed also shows some pale foxing. Advertisement pages at rear are excised, as noted. All else about the copy is VG+. An unusual volume with an interesting provenance. Item #67071
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