Weiser Antiquarian Books
Encyclopedia
Weiser Antiquarian Books is the oldest occult bookstore in the United States. It specialises in books on Aleister Crowley and his circle, magic, mysticism, eastern religions and alternative spirituality. Its earlier New York incarnation "The Weiser Bookshop" was described by Leslie A. Shepherd as "perhaps the most famous occult bookstore in the U.S."
One of the customers of the shop was Karl Germer
, successor to Aleister Crowley
as head of the Ordo Templi Orientis
. After Crowley's death, most of his papers and other possessions were shipped to Germer including the unbound sheets of the 1937 edition of his book "The Equinox of the Gods." In 1955 Germer sold the sheets to Samuel Weiser who had them bound up in maroon cloth and sold through the shop. This was probably one of the first books to be "published" by Samuel Weiser – although it retained the original O.T.O. title page and imprint. Germer also sold Weiser a collection of the First Edition of Crowley's masterwork on the tarot, "The Book of Thoth." Despite being leather bound, printed on handmade paper, and in an edition of only 200 copies signed by Crowley himself, interest in "the Beast" was low at the time and for nearly two decades copies could be purchased from the shop for $50- or less (as of 2009, they command thousands of dollars).
Rising rents and urban change forced many of the bookstores out of "Book Row." A number moved into the adjacent Broadway, with Weiser, whose stock had now grown to over a hundred thousand volumes, taking a premises at 845 Broadway. The new building had a huge basement, which the Weiser brothers crammed with books on all manner of subjects. After a heart attack forced Samuel Weiser into semi-retirement, Ben Weiser was joined by Samuel's son Donald.
The late 1960s saw the bookstore go through another move, this time into two floors at 734 Broadway, not far from Astor Place. The move gave Donald Weiser, who now ran the business with the assistance of Fred Mendel, the chance to further increase their specialisation. In addition to used and rare books on the occult, Weiser Books, or "The Weiser Bookstore" as it was then known, also stocked new domestic and imported titles. The publishing side of the business was also expanded, and moved into its own premises at 625 Broadway.
By the early 1980s the costs of maintaining a number of businesses in New York City had grown increasingly difficult to sustain, and Donald Weiser moved Samuel Weiser Publishing and the new book distribution wing of the company to York, Maine.
In 1985 he also moved the specialist rare books section of the company, now named Weiser Antiquarian Books, to York, where it shared a two storey warehouse with the publishing company's distribution centre. Much to the dismay of its many New York city customers, soaring city rents brought about the closure of the Broadway store in the early 1990s. Its huge stock of books was packed into shipping containers and moved to the new location in Maine, to be added to the stock of Weiser Antiquarian Books.
In the year 2000 Donald Weiser sold the publishing division of the company. Its new owners renamed it Red Wheel / Weiser
but kept its York premises until 2006, when they moved the publishing company's editorial department to San Francisco and its marketing department to Newburyport, Massachusetts.
In 2005 Donald Weiser retired, and Weiser Antiquarian Books was taken over by its then-manager Marilyn Rinn, and Keith Richmond. The following year they moved the bookstore into its current premises: a one-time art gallery which had, for a long time, been the headquarters of Weiser Publishing. In 2007 they also began publishing under The Teitan Press
imprint which was founded by Martin P. Starr and Frank Winston.
In January 2006, Weiser Antiquarian Books began issuing a new series of on-line catalogs. Most of these catalogs are devoted to a specific author or theme. A large number have been devoted to the works of Aleister Crowley
(in whom the store specialises), as well as authors including Dion Fortune
, Israel Regardie
, John Dee
and Austin Osman Spare
. In a number of cases – such as their catalogs on Jack Parsons, Marcelo Ramos Motta and Kenneth Grant
– these are the first book-seller's catalogs devoted specifically to these authors. Other catalogs have been devoted to specific journals - notably The Occult Review
, The Inner Light, and Ambix, - and subjects such as Alchemy
, Spiritualism
, the Kabbalah
, Hermetica
, Magick, The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
and Rosicrucianism. Others have been devoted to books from specific collections: for example those of Helen Parsons Smith, Ray Burlingame, Edward Noel FitzGerald and Jean Michaud, or to collections of documents such as the Karl Germer
/ Reea Leffingwell correspondence or the C. F. Russell / Sydney Hamilton French / G .'. B .'. G .'. archive.
The catalogs contain bibliographical, historical and biographical information about the books offered for sale, and often detail previously unpublished manuscript and other material. They are often cited by researchers in on-line and printed publications. At the request of customers and researchers, the older catalogs are now kept in an online archive.
Weiser Antiquarian Books is now primarily an internet retailer, and does not maintain an open shop, but is open to established customers by prior appointment.
Early years
The original Samuel Weiser Bookstore was started in New York City's famous "Book Row" area by Samuel Weiser in 1926. It moved several times within the "Book Row" before relocating to 117 4th Avenue, where it remained for a number of decades. To start with Samuel Weiser Books sold general used books, but with an emphasis on the occult and comparative religion. In 1949 Samuel Weiser was joined by his brother Ben who had worked with him for a few years in the 1930s. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s they increased Weiser Books' specialist focus on the occult at a time when many bookstores refused to handle such subjects.One of the customers of the shop was Karl Germer
Karl Germer
Karl Germer was the Outer Head of the Order of Ordo Templi Orientis from 1947 until his death in 1962...
, successor to Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley , born Edward Alexander Crowley, and also known as both Frater Perdurabo and The Great Beast, was an influential English occultist, astrologer, mystic and ceremonial magician, responsible for founding the religious philosophy of Thelema. He was also successful in various other...
as head of the Ordo Templi Orientis
Ordo Templi Orientis
Ordo Templi Orientis is an international fraternal and religious organization founded at the beginning of the 20th century...
. After Crowley's death, most of his papers and other possessions were shipped to Germer including the unbound sheets of the 1937 edition of his book "The Equinox of the Gods." In 1955 Germer sold the sheets to Samuel Weiser who had them bound up in maroon cloth and sold through the shop. This was probably one of the first books to be "published" by Samuel Weiser – although it retained the original O.T.O. title page and imprint. Germer also sold Weiser a collection of the First Edition of Crowley's masterwork on the tarot, "The Book of Thoth." Despite being leather bound, printed on handmade paper, and in an edition of only 200 copies signed by Crowley himself, interest in "the Beast" was low at the time and for nearly two decades copies could be purchased from the shop for $50- or less (as of 2009, they command thousands of dollars).
Rising rents and urban change forced many of the bookstores out of "Book Row." A number moved into the adjacent Broadway, with Weiser, whose stock had now grown to over a hundred thousand volumes, taking a premises at 845 Broadway. The new building had a huge basement, which the Weiser brothers crammed with books on all manner of subjects. After a heart attack forced Samuel Weiser into semi-retirement, Ben Weiser was joined by Samuel's son Donald.
The 1960s onwards
Samuel Weiser had begun publishing in the mid-1950s, and through the late 1950s produced a small number of books under the Occult Research Press imprint before starting to publish under his own name. The development of the 1960s "counter-culture," and the growth of popular interest in esotericism and Eastern religious and mystical traditions, allowed Ben and Donald Weiser to expand the company's publishing activities. They recruited many contemporary authors, such as Israel Regardie, who were customers. The shop's stock also provided them with rare and out-of-print books that they could reprint.The late 1960s saw the bookstore go through another move, this time into two floors at 734 Broadway, not far from Astor Place. The move gave Donald Weiser, who now ran the business with the assistance of Fred Mendel, the chance to further increase their specialisation. In addition to used and rare books on the occult, Weiser Books, or "The Weiser Bookstore" as it was then known, also stocked new domestic and imported titles. The publishing side of the business was also expanded, and moved into its own premises at 625 Broadway.
By the early 1980s the costs of maintaining a number of businesses in New York City had grown increasingly difficult to sustain, and Donald Weiser moved Samuel Weiser Publishing and the new book distribution wing of the company to York, Maine.
In 1985 he also moved the specialist rare books section of the company, now named Weiser Antiquarian Books, to York, where it shared a two storey warehouse with the publishing company's distribution centre. Much to the dismay of its many New York city customers, soaring city rents brought about the closure of the Broadway store in the early 1990s. Its huge stock of books was packed into shipping containers and moved to the new location in Maine, to be added to the stock of Weiser Antiquarian Books.
In the year 2000 Donald Weiser sold the publishing division of the company. Its new owners renamed it Red Wheel / Weiser
Red Wheel Weiser Conari
Red Wheel Weiser Conari, also known in different periods in its history as RedWheel/Weiser, LLC and Samuel Weiser, Inc., is a book publisher with three imprints: Red Wheel, Weiser Books and Conari Books...
but kept its York premises until 2006, when they moved the publishing company's editorial department to San Francisco and its marketing department to Newburyport, Massachusetts.
In 2005 Donald Weiser retired, and Weiser Antiquarian Books was taken over by its then-manager Marilyn Rinn, and Keith Richmond. The following year they moved the bookstore into its current premises: a one-time art gallery which had, for a long time, been the headquarters of Weiser Publishing. In 2007 they also began publishing under The Teitan Press
The Teitan Press
The Teitan Press is a small publishing house specialising in books by and relating to Aleister Crowley, and to scholarly works on the occult.-History:...
imprint which was founded by Martin P. Starr and Frank Winston.
Catalogs
For decades the Weiser Bookstore issued printed catalogs that listed anywhere between a few hundred and several thousand items, with basic descriptions of the book's author, title, condition and price. The advent of the internet brought an end to these printed catalogs, and for some years Weiser Antiquarian Books only listed its books on various internet book-sites and directly on to its own website.In January 2006, Weiser Antiquarian Books began issuing a new series of on-line catalogs. Most of these catalogs are devoted to a specific author or theme. A large number have been devoted to the works of Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley , born Edward Alexander Crowley, and also known as both Frater Perdurabo and The Great Beast, was an influential English occultist, astrologer, mystic and ceremonial magician, responsible for founding the religious philosophy of Thelema. He was also successful in various other...
(in whom the store specialises), as well as authors including Dion Fortune
Dion Fortune
Violet Mary Firth Evans , better known as Dion Fortune, was a British occultist and author. Her pseudonym was inspired by her family motto "Deo, non fortuna" , originally the ancient motto of the Barons & Earls Digby.-Early life:She was born in Bryn-y-Bia in Llandudno, Wales, and grew up in a...
, Israel Regardie
Israel Regardie
Israel Regardie, born Francis Israel Regudy was an occultist and writer, author of books on the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.-Early life:...
, John Dee
John Dee
John Dee was a Welsh mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, occultist, navigator, imperialist, and consultant to Queen Elizabeth I.John Dee may also refer to:* John Dee , Basketball coach...
and Austin Osman Spare
Austin Osman Spare
Austin Osman Spare was an English artist who developed idiosyncratic magical techniques including automatic writing, automatic drawing and sigilization based on his theories of the relationship between the conscious and unconscious self...
. In a number of cases – such as their catalogs on Jack Parsons, Marcelo Ramos Motta and Kenneth Grant
Kenneth Grant
Kenneth Grant was a British occultist, novelist, and poet, who with his partner, the artist Steffi Grant, headed the magical order previously known as the Typhonian Ordo Templi Orientis but which is now referred to as the Typhonian Order.-Occult background:Grant's occult experiences began in 1939...
– these are the first book-seller's catalogs devoted specifically to these authors. Other catalogs have been devoted to specific journals - notably The Occult Review
The Occult Review
The Occult Review was a British illustrated monthly magazine published between 1905 and 1951 containing articles & correspondence by many notable occultists and authors of the day, including Aleister Crowley, Meredith Starr, Walter Leslie Wilmshurst, Arthur Edward Waite, Franz Hartmann, Florence...
, The Inner Light, and Ambix, - and subjects such as Alchemy
Alchemy
Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
, Spiritualism
Spiritualism
Spiritualism is a belief system or religion, postulating the belief that spirits of the dead residing in the spirit world have both the ability and the inclination to communicate with the living...
, the Kabbalah
Kabbalah
Kabbalah/Kabala is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the esoteric aspect of Rabbinic Judaism. It was systematized in 11th-13th century Hachmei Provence and Spain, and again after the Expulsion from Spain, in 16th century Ottoman Palestine...
, Hermetica
Hermetica
The Hermetica are Greek wisdom texts from the 2nd and 3rd centuries CE, mostly presented as dialogues in which a teacher, generally identified with Hermes Trismegistus or "thrice-greatest Hermes", enlightens a disciple...
, Magick, The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was a magical order active in Great Britain during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which practiced theurgy and spiritual development...
and Rosicrucianism. Others have been devoted to books from specific collections: for example those of Helen Parsons Smith, Ray Burlingame, Edward Noel FitzGerald and Jean Michaud, or to collections of documents such as the Karl Germer
Karl Germer
Karl Germer was the Outer Head of the Order of Ordo Templi Orientis from 1947 until his death in 1962...
/ Reea Leffingwell correspondence or the C. F. Russell / Sydney Hamilton French / G .'. B .'. G .'. archive.
The catalogs contain bibliographical, historical and biographical information about the books offered for sale, and often detail previously unpublished manuscript and other material. They are often cited by researchers in on-line and printed publications. At the request of customers and researchers, the older catalogs are now kept in an online archive.
Weiser Antiquarian Books is now primarily an internet retailer, and does not maintain an open shop, but is open to established customers by prior appointment.