[The Secret Teachings of All Ages] An Encyclopedic Outline of Masonic, Hermetic, Qabbalistic and Rosicrucian Symbolical Philosophy, Being an Interpretation of the Secret Teachings concealed within the Rituals, Allegories and Mysteries of All Ages
Publishing: Printed for Manly P. Hall by H. S. Crocker; San Francisco
King Solomon Edition #34/ 550
The masterfully bound occult classic considered Manly P. Hall's Magnum Opus.Nearly 100 years later this book remains an impressive monument in the Western esoteric canon. "In all the history of book fabrication in America no such volume as the book by Manly P. Hall has ever been attempted before" Overland Monthly 1928 The book itself stands at nineteen inches high and is thirteen inches wide, contains 260 pages of material and 54 full page color illustrations, and 200 additional black and white illustrations. The book was printed on Alexander Japan, 100-point basis paper produced by Strathmore Paper Company. Incidentally, the paper required to print these editions made the largest order of Alexander-Japan paper ever placed in America. The beginning of each chapter is decorated in dual-colored specially cut Italian illuminating initials of the Renaissance period. The color plates on the 1928 editions were never reproduced with the same startling craftsmanship; each illustrations was produced in full process colors, namely, red, yellow, blue and black. With a few plates requiring special order colors including gold and silver. The Heraldic Arms of Jesus Christ required eight colors to reproduce. There are two fold-out illustrations measuring 29x19 - The Bembine Table of Isis and the Rosicrucian Formula. The heavy boards are half-bound with baby goat vellum and rare Ceylon designed Batik paper which was also used for the end papers as well as on the wooden slip case. Although it was intended by Hall to release only the Subscribers Edition limited to 550; his popularity grew exponentially in the years it took to produce this books. Hence, in order to maintain demand he increased production to include also the King Solomon Edition, The Rosicurician Edition, and The Theosophical Edition. All of which, along with the Subscribers Edition, were produced concurrently. Consequently there are some who consider all of the 1928 editions 'First Editions' with some considering 'The Subscribers Edition' the 'True First Edition'. One thing is certain; all of the 1928 editions are remarkable; and with the exception of the assigned title to each, bear no differences from one another. Almost impossible to find in Near Fine condition with the spine label fully intact.
The book was published by John Henry Nash out of San Francisco. And was originally presented in 5 editions for a total of 2,200 books in 1928:
Contains 54 Full page illustrations by J. Augustus Knapp, and approx. 200 black and white illustrations,
Condition: Elephant Folio measuring 19" Tall and 12.5" in width, total weight nearly 20 pounds, vi + 246 pp, top edge gilt, original patterned paper boards with vellum corner tips and spine, gilt titled leather spine label is complete and quite unusual to find in this condition as these often chipped over time, the wooden slipcase is also in wonderful condition - also uncommon as this wooden slipcase was almost always inevitably damaged by the elements, all pages are clean, binding is tight, overall Near Fine