The Fun of the Fair ( Nijni Novgorod, 1913 e.v. ).
London: The O.T.O., 1942. First Edition thus. Original thick paper wrappers, with red titling to upper wrapper. Large Octavo. viii + 24pp (+ ivpp). Frontispiece photographic portrait. Printed at the Chiswick Press on fine mould-made paper. The first separate edition, limited to 200 signed and numbered copies. This copy is numbered but NOT signed, as common. Crowley's reminiscences - in verse - of the bawdy spectacle of the great festival at Nijni Novgorod (Russia) which he visited in 1913. This is one of the copies that also included an errata slip tipped onto the half-title page and two additional poems - "Political Vote. B----y Secret" & "Landed Gentry" tipped in at the rear. Crowley had tried to get these poems, both of which are critical of "the establishment," included in the body of the book, but had been rebuffed by several printers who feared that they would be prosecuted for publishing anything that might be considered anti-government propaganda under the strict wartime censorship laws. Eventually Crowley hit upon the ploy of having a mainstream printer - his old favourite the Chiswick Press - produce the books, and having the "dubious poems" duplicated by a jobbing printer (the 1940's equivalent of a copy-shop). He then had the extra poems tipped into the rear of some copies (as this). The copies with the extra poems, tend to be those that were distributed in Britain during Crowley's lifetime (which were also usually, although as this copy proves - not always - signed by him). Those without the "extras" were typically sent to overseas followers, probably because their content was very anglo-centric, and also perhaps because - being exported in wartime - they would have been subject to closer scrutiny by the censors. Wrappers have a little shadowing, and as always are a little creased where they overlap the text block. Occasional light signs of aging to the pages. Still overall bright, clean, VG+ condition. Item #69700
Price: $425.00