'Exhibition of Playing Cards The Tarot (Book of Thoth) 78 Paintings According to the Initiated Tradition and Modern Scientific Thought with Other Occult and Alchemical Designs' Crowley, Aleister, and Harris, Lady Frieda
52105 No publishing details (London, 1941) First edition. Softcover, 8vo, 19pp. 8 x 5 inches (21 x 12.5 cm). Title page clipped (as noted). VG. Produced to accompany the first exhibition of the Tarot illustrations painted by Frieda Harris from the descriptions and rough sketches of Aleister Crowley. The Crowley/Harris deck was not produced until which were later published as the Thoth tarot deck. The exhibition was held at the Nicholson and Venn Galleries, in Oxford, in June 1941. The catalogue is in printed card covers, the upper panel of which reproduces in colour an early design of the first trump, The Magician. When the cards were later published as a pack, the title was changed to 'The Magus' and a much different design used. This is the only illustration. The upper half of the title page has the text - the lower half which originally bore the details of the exhibition has been cut out and removed; a number of the catalogues were apparently thus altered so that they could be reused at later exhibitions, such as that held in London in July 1942. The booklet begins with a two page introduction, 'The Tarot (Book of Thoth)' which is followed by a brief description of the main attributes of each of the 78 cards. The introduction and notes are unattributed, but were presumably written by, or at very least, in collaboration with Crowley. $135.00AUD Click here to order or message the dealer
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