AN EXCEPTIONALLY EARLY WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS LETTER REFERENCING HIS FIRST SUCCESSFUL BOOK:  “FAIRY AND FOLK TALES OF THE IRISH PEASANTRY” AND SAYS THE PUBLISHER SENT THE BOOK TO THE CONTROVERSIAL RUSSIAN SPIRITUALIST, AUTHOR AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY, AND PUBLISHER OF THE JOURNAL ‘LUCIFER’ ~~ MADAME HELENA BLAVATSKY

YEATS, WILLIAM BUTLER.  (1865-1939) Irish poet, dramatist, and Nobel laureate.   Exceptionally early, Autograph Letter Signed, “W.B. Yeats”.  One full page, octavo.  November 9, no year [1888]..  “3 Blenheim Road, Bedford Park, Chiswick”, UK.  To Mr. Keighty.  Yeats writes:

 

“The publisher tells me he has sent a copy of “Fairy and Folk Tales” to “Luicfer” for review….  Madame Blavatsky tells me she has not received it.  Would you kindly look for it in Duke Street… and if found, give it to Madame Blavatsky.  Yours truly, WB Yeats —  PS. Send me a postcard if you find [the] book”.

 

Madame Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831-1891) Russian mystic, occult writer and child of Russian aristocrats. She was a spiritual ‘seeker’ who traveled five continents, and founded (with Henry Steel Olcott) the Theosophical Society. She is still a person of some considerable interest today, being hailed as both an icon and a fraud more than 120 years after her death.  The publication ‘Lucifer’ was a monthly journal published by Blavatsky and edited by herself and Mabel Collins, which published articles on philosophical, theosophical, scientific and religious topics.  It also contained book reviews.

Just an exceptional letter on a multitude of levels.  Worthy of inclusion in any Irish oriented or fine literary collection.                                        

 

$4500.00