Item #68254 Moonchild. A Prologue. Aleister CROWLEY, Jerry Cornelius - related works Helen Parsons Smith.
Moonchild. A Prologue.
Moonchild. A Prologue.

Moonchild. A Prologue.

London: Mandrake, 1929. First Edition. Hardcover. Octavo. 336pp. Simple blue binder's cloth, with gilt titling to spine (1940s). A rather battered copy of the first edition of Crowley's famous second novel, with an interesting provenance. According to pencil notes on the front pastedown, and a short printed note by J. Edward (Jerry) Cornelius slipped into the back this copy was originally (one of a number) owned by Karl Germer. In the 1950s the book was long out-of-print, and quite difficult to find in America, and Germer apparently gave or sold this copy to Helen Parsons Smith. The book has an earlier owner's name label in it, and the remains of a library label on the rear pastedown (although no other library markings), and it may have been that Germer bought it cheaply as a library discard. Helen Parsons Smith kept it for several decades, and then in the 1980s sold it to Jerry Cornelius, who stamped it with his large cross in a circle seal and signed it with the sigilized form of his magical name Frater Achad Osher 583, VIII and "93/93" on the inside front cover. Cornelius was under the impression that HPS had the book rebound, but it seems more likely that it was like this when acquired by Germer. In 2005 in the process of downsizing his collection, Cornelius sold the book to Clive Harper, from whose library 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. With Harper's discreet book-label neatly tipped in at the rear. Cloth darkened and rubbed, spine slightly canted, and spine ends and points chafed. Page edges are darkened & endpapers splitting at inner hinges with old tape reinforcements. Pages browned but clean and unmarked, owner's address label on front blank. A solid Good-only copy with an interesting provenance. Item #68254

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