Snowdrops from a Curate's Garden.
Chicago, IL: The Teitan Press, Inc., 1986. First Edition Thus. Hardcover. Octavo. xxiv + 198 pp. White cloth with gilt title, etc. to spine, gilt facsimile signature on front cover, frontis. This copy SIGNED and warmly INSCRIBED by the editor Martin P. Starr to Oliver Marlow Wilkinson on the front free endpaper. Crowley's most infamous pornographic work. It was apparently written by Crowley with the intention of penning the most ridiculously extreme sexual fantasy ever produced - for the edification of his wife Rose. Most copies of the first edition (circa 1904) were destroyed by British Customs. This edition includes an insightful Prolegmenon by the editor, Martin P. Starr. From the library of Oliver Marlow Wilkinson (1915-1999) dramatist, author, educator and raconteur. Oliver was the son of Louis Umfreville Wilkinson (1881-1966) an English man-of-letters who wrote a number of satirical autobiographical and fictional works, mostly under the pseudonym "Louis Marlow." Louis Umfreville Wilkinson was a good friend of Aleister Crowley's, the two had an extensive correspondence, and Crowley respected Louis's literary skills to the extent that he engaged him to prepare a popular edition of Crowley commentaries on "Liber AL." Crowley also made Louis one of his executors, and it was Louis Wilkinson who caused some uproar amongst the more excitable members of the press by reading from Crowley's "Hymn to Pan" and other of his works at the Beast's funeral. Louis's son Oliver also knew Crowley well; indeed he was the one that found Crowley the rooms at Netherwood that became his final home and Crowley, along with John Cowper Powys, is said to have jointly shared the honour of being Oliver's godfather. Oliver Wilkinson inherited many of the Crowley books and papers that had belonged to his father Louis, including a number of signed and inscribed items, etc. etc. In the 1980s Oliver refreshed his interest in Crowley, meeting with a number of contemporary Crowley afficiandos including Martin P. Starr, and writing an Introduction to a new edition of his father's book "Seven Friends" which included a chapter-long reminiscense of Crowley. In 2021 Weiser Antiquarian books acquired the remains of Oliver's Crowley collection, which comprised some of the books and pieces of ephemera that had belonged to his father, as well as books, such as this, that he himself had bought or was given in the 1980s and 1990s. A small posthumous book-label, tipped in at the rear, identifies it as having come from his collection. Upper corners of boards lightly bruised, a few flecks of foxing to the edges of text block, otherwise a tight, clean near-Fine copy in near-Fine dust jacket (a tiny bit of shelf rubbing, now protected by a removable mylar sleeve). Item #69725
ISBN: 0933429010
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