1885 The Light on the Path - First Edition (Association Copy)
One of the cherished items in my personal collection is a first edition of the theosophical classic "The Light on the Path" by Mabel Collins. According to theosophical mystic lore, Collins wrote the book after an experience in which her Astral Body was taken into a Hall of spiritual initiation, where she saw and read lines written in golden letters on the walls. These lines and letters inspired the creation of the sleek little book "The Light on The Path," which was published in 1885 by the Reeves & Turner publishing company.
Initially, Collins claimed to have written the book under the dictation of her spirit guide, Master "Sri Hilarion," a supposed member of a secret Greek brotherhood of Masters. However, Collins later retracted this claim, which caused conflict with the leading theoretician of Theosophy, H.P. Blavatsky, and some of her loyal followers within the Theosophical Society at the time. This conflict ultimately led to Collins' departure from the society. While the publication of the book is not solely responsible, it's ironic that such a small book sparked such immense strife within the society.
In regards to the publication, the publisher initially released two versions of the first edition: some were issued in wrappers and others in hardcover. It is widely believed that this edition was printed in limited numbers and is equally rare in both of the known variations. What makes this copy particularly interesting is the association and notes included in the book. A signature on the reverse side of the front free endpaper reads, “Elmira Y. Howard, from her friend S.H.R.” Ms. Howard obtained her medical degree in 1870, becoming a widowed mother after the Civil War. She mainly tended to women, children, and the African American community in Cincinnati, Ohio. She also worked as a correspondent for the Cincinnati “Commercial-Gazette” for a period of time. Her exact connection to the Theosophical Society is unknown, although it can be generally assumed that her association with the Theosophical Hall in Cincinnati was geographical.
Another point of inquiry was that of the 'S.H.R.' from whom the book was presented to Mrs. Howard. The initial instinct, and admittedly rather hopeful assumption, was that this edition was presented by Collins' herself under the moniker of Sri. Hilarion (S.H.) She was known to have signed a few books with the informal pen name. But what to make of the "R"? I inquired with well respected author and colleague Ronnie Pontiac, who has extensive ties in theosophical circles via his previous work with Manly P. Hall's Philosophical Research Society in Los Angeles. Several days after the query we remained stumped. The second attempt of identification was to compare the handwriting on my copy to previous documents written by Mabel Collins. I reached out to an associate and well-known theosophy curator, Erik Mona , who was kind enough to send me a scanned copy of a letter written by Collins. The handwriting does not appear to match, but it cannot be certain one way or another. Thus the mystery of the association remains for the moment.
Perhaps the most interesting piece of this puzzle is the contemporary letter which accompanies the book. The letter matches the handwriting of the presenter 'S.H.R' thus we may determine that the letter was presented together with the book to Ms. Howard. The letter contains a list of 'rules' with notes which expand additional information on several of the rules in the book. This brings us to our next point of reference.
Some years back Weiser Antiquarian cataloged a first edition of Light on the Path in which included a series of notes at the hand of Collins. According to the experts at Weiser, “Around the time of publication of “Light on the Path,” Collins received additional explanatory material on the text from the Master Hilarion, which came to be known as "the Notes." Collins apparently hand-copied "The Notes" onto a number of blank pages, which she inserted into this copy of the first edition. She may have prepared one or two other copies similarly, but if so, we have been unable to trace them, and she could not have done many because of the labor involved (although we have found reference to another with "by Sri Hilarion" written by Collins on the title-page). "The Notes" were subsequently typeset and incorporated in printed form into all later editions of the work."
The annotations in my copy are very similar to those in the Weiser catalog, but not identical. This raises the question: Could this be one of the few surviving copies handwritten by Collins? If not Collins, perhaps they were written by an assistant editor or collaborator? “The Notes” were later typeset and included in all subsequent editions of the work. So, it’s also possible that the annotator made these notes based on a later edition before presenting the copy to Mrs. Elmira Howard. However we look at it, the notes included with this first edition are extremely rare and truly unique.
Note: This copy remains in Near Fine condition with only minor exterior soiling. It was acquired from an associate bookseller in the U.S. state of Georgia in July of 2022. This edition remains in our permanent collection and is not currently for sale. (Scroll below for additional photos)
Ernest J. Rose
