Aleister Crowley ... The Last Ritual. Read From His Own Works, According To His Wish, on December 5th, 1947, at Brighton.
NP [Brighton, England]: NP (Privately Printed), 1947. First edition. Softcover. Large octavo (10 x 7 ½") 12pp. Original pale green-grey printed wrappers, with woodcut designs by Lady Frieda Harris. Black and white frontispiece plate of tarot-like design by Frieda Lady Harris tipped in. The Order of Service for Crowley's funeral, distributed to the small band of friends and well-wishers who gather prior to his cremation. It includes excerpts from his own works. Crowley's friend, English man-of-letters Louis Umfreville Wilkinson (1881-1966), famously read from the work at the Beast's funeral, with his booming rendition of Crowley's "Hymn to Pan" causing some uproar amongst the more excitable members of the press. This variant - with pale green-grey rather than dark green wrappers - is considered by some to be a proof issue. It is certainly somewhat scarcer than the green wrappered issue. From the collection of Clive Harper with his discreet 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. A light horizontal crease across the bottom of the booklet and little darkening and creasing around the edges of the wrappers. Still a VG+ copy of an uncommon and important work - his friends' final salute to "the Beast." Item #69804
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