The Collection of Edwin A Dawes, Part I

[OCCULT]. BLAVATSKY, H.P. (1831 – 91). Isis Unveiled: A Master Key to the Mysteries of Ancient and Modern Science and Theology. New York: J.W. Bouton, 1882. Fifth thousand. Two volumes. Original dark grey cloth with rules and decorations stamped in black, spines titled and pictorially stamped in gilt, black endpapers. Portrait frontispiece of the author with tissue guard in vol. 1, folding diagram in vol. II (torn). Thick 8vos. xlvi, 628 pp.; (vi) iv, 692 pp. + 44pp. publisher’s catalogue at rear. Considerable wear to cloth, bumps to corners, foxing, one hinge cracked, but sound; fair to good condition. A rare early printing of Blavatsky’s first major work.

Isis Unveiled became one the foundational texts of Theosophy and was influential in Western magical traditions. Aleister Crowley recognized her as a Sister or Master of the Temple in his system of spiritual grades.