Lady Frieda Harris



Lady Frieda Harris is renowned as the artist who executed Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot. This was, perhaps, Crowley's greated achievement. If Crowley fathered it, Harris was its mother. It was not an easy birth. She threw herself into the painting as the bombs of the Second World War fell, as predicted in the apocalyptic Third Chapter of their scared text, the Book of the Law. Those paintings selected for the final pack were exhibited twice in 1941. After Crowley's death Harris considered selling them, but it was not to be and in the end she bequeathed them to Gerald Yorke. He placed them with the Warburg Institute. However, Yorke retained several alternative versions of cards that were not included in the pack and some preliminary studies. These he sold through the Cecil Court bookdealer Harold Mortlake. They have been in private hands since and are now exhibited below available for sale. Also offered are original photographic prints from the 1940's, many signed by Frieda Harris



The Emperor
watercolour (22ins x 15ins) Signed by Harris £5995



The Magician or Juggler
Watercolour 18ins x 11.5ins In decorated mount, signed by Harris. A note buy her on reverse states "Original version - Rejected" £2495



The Magus of Juggler
 Watercolour 15ins x 11.5ins £6495 (SOLD)



The Fool
 Watercolour 15ins x 11.5ins £2495



The Moon
Watercolour 15ins x 11.5ins £5995



Knight of Discs
Watercolour 17.5ins x 11ins in mount with decorated border £5250



Knight of Wands
Pencil sketch with some colour wash 13ins x 14ins Signed by Harris with her explanatory notes at foot. In plain mount, crudely trimmed at the foot with some loss £2495



Hierophant
Water colour 18ins x 10.5ins within plain mount Signed by Frieda Harris £1295



Fool
Pencil Drawing £1295 (SOLD)



Lady Frieda Harris, Handwritten Letter, 1958 2pp Airmail letter incorporating envelope to Harold Mortlake, it discusses the tarot cards and a proposed publication of them, and also mentions her book, Bump into Heaven. Of the photographs below she here says "There are copies in photographs. Coplete in 2 or 3 albums, one of which A.C. sold to someone. I believe John Symonds or Gerald has one. The negatives are in the possession of Mr. Steptoe..... who photographed them. They are very good. He can print a series & they are complete & would sell the negatives but they are expensive. If you think necessay ring him up. He is trustworthy. There are several additional photographs pf Princess - Prince, King of Air, Ace of Cups which were scrappy & not included in the final pack, also several of the Magician or Juggler nd 2 of Water Cups". It can be presumed that the photographs listed below are those referred to below. The passed from Frieda Harris to Gerald Yorke, thence to Harold Mortlake and then into a private collection VG Order No. 10903 £90 (SOLD)



The Magician
Black & White Photographic Print, nd (c1945) 6ins x 5ins Signed with brief notes by Harris. The design, and title, is very diferent to that finally included in the Thoth Tarot deck and is not one of the two extra designs included in the U.S. Games edition. VG Order No. 10600 £150

The Magican
Photographic Print, nd (c1945) 6ins x 5ins This design is variant to the one published and now included in the Thoth deck where it is titled the Magus. Signed on reverse by Frieda Harris VG Order No. 10601 £150

Wheel of Fortune
Photographic Print, nd (c1945) 6ins x 5ins This design is variant to the one published and now included in the Thoth deck. Signed on reverse by Frieda Harris VG Order No. 10602 £140

The Star
Photographic Print, nd (c1945) 6ins x 5ins This design is variant to the one published and now included in the Thoth deck. Signed on reverse by Frieda Harris VG Order No. 10603 £140

Ten of Discs
Photographic Print, nd (c1945) 6ins x 5ins VG Order No. 10604 £90 (SOLD)

Prince of Discs
Photographic Print, nd (c1945) 6ins x 5ins This design is very different to the one published VG (reverse grubby) Order No. 10605 £100

Princess of Earth or Discs
Photographic Print, nd (c1945) 6ins x 5ins Signed on reverse by Frieda Harris VG Order No. 10606 £100

Queen of Discs
Photographic Print, nd (c1945) 6ins x 5ins VG Order No. 10607 £100

Two of Wands
Black & White Photographic Print, nd (c1945) 6ins x 5ins This design is variant to the one published. Signed on reverse by Frieda Harris VG Order No. 10608 £120

Three of Wands
Black & White Photographic Print, nd (c1945) 6ins x 5ins A brief printed description of the card's meaning glued to reverse VG Order No. 10609 £60

Four of Wands
Black & White Photographic Print, nd (c1945) 6ins x 5ins This design is variant to the one published. VG Order No. 10610 £90

Seven of Wands
Photographic Print, nd (c1945) 6ins x 5ins This design is slightly variant to the published version F Order No. 10611 £90

Princess of Wands
Black & White Photographic Print, nd (c1945) 6ins x 5ins This design is very slightly variant to the one published and now included in the Thoth deck. Signed on reverse by Frieda Harris and brief printed meaning of card affixed VG Order No. 10612 £115

Prince of Wands
Photographic Print, nd (c1945) 6ins x 5ins. This design is variant to the one published and now included in the Thoth deck Back grimy otherwise VG Order No. 10613 £100

Prince of Flames (ie Wands)
Photographic Print, nd (c1945) 6ins x 5ins The design is as published, but more can be seen of the edges in this photo than the opublished version. Signed on reverse by Frieda Harris VG Order No. 10614 £100

Five of Wands
Photographic Print, nd (c1945) 6ins x 5ins The design is as published, but the edges of this photo are cropped in the published version. VG Order No. 10615 £60

Eight of Swords
Photographic Print, nd (c1945) 6ins x 5ins Brief printed explanation of meaning of the card glued to reverse which is signed by Frieda Harris VG Order No. 10616 £90

Prince of Swords
Photographic Print, nd (c1945) 6ins x 5ins The design is quite different from the one finally published and included in the Thoth tarot deck VG Order No. 10617 £100

Prince of Swords
Photographic Print, nd (c1945) 6ins x 5ins Signed on reverse by Frieda Harris VG Order No. 10618 £100

Princess of Swords
Photographic Print, nd (c1945) 6ins x 5ins. Signed on reverse by Frieda Harris VG Order No. 10619 £100

Ace of Cups
Photographic Print, nd (c1945) 6ins x 5ins The design is very different from the one published and included in the Thoth tarot deck VG Order No. 10620 £100

Water Ace (the Holy Grail)
Photographic Print, nd (c1945) 6ins x 5ins Signed and titled (variant to published title) by Frieda Harris on reverse VG Order No. 10622 £125 (SOLD)

Prince of Cups
Photographic Print, nd (c1945) 6ins x 5ins VG Order No. 10623 £70

Princess of Cups
Photographic Print, nd (c1945) 6ins x 5ins Brief printed description of cards meaning fixed on reverse which is also signed by Frieda Harris VG Order No. 10624 £100

Book of Thoth - Prospectus
nd (1944) Single sheet folded once to give 4pp 10ins x 7.5ins. Promoting the 1st Ed of 200 copies, the "first and final Classic of the Tarot" which was "Nobly" produced. On the back page are details of study classes being given by Max Schneider so this is will be the US version. Some discolouration bottom edge front pp VG- Order No. 10106 £75

Background Development Sequence
This series of drawings by Frieda Harris shows the process behing the development of geometric patterns present in the background of some of the tarot cards (Not For Sale)


Lady Frieda Harris, The Masonic Tracing Boards, Three coloured posters 20ins x 14ins c.1975. It is not generally realised that Frieda Lady Harris was an active co-mason. This is the branch of masonry which was founded by Madame Blavatsky, Leadbeater and others associated with the Theosophical Society. The rituals are very much as performed by mainstream Masonry, though there is a history of viewing the rituals and the Temple in terms of subtle energies which some Masons might find unusual. As Co-masonry was open to men and women it has abandoned one of the landmarks of the United Grand Lodge of England, and so has never been recognised as legitimate by that body. However it seems that some Masons do recognise the sincerity, value and unique history of Co-masonry. The impression gained from the outside is that relationship between this tradition of fringe masonry and the mainstream is informally cordial. Frieda Harris painted her own versions of the Tracing Boards. The result have the components of the traditional designs, but are distinctively her own and modern. They can be seen in the context of the development of the design of the tracing boards by clicking here:-

The Development of the First Degree Board

The Development of the Second Degree Board

The Development of the Third Degree Board


Alternatively you can view just her designs here (of course the actual posters show far more detail!):-

Frieda Harris, First Degree Tracing Board

Frieda Harris, Second Degree Tracing Board

Frieda Harris, Third Degree Tracing Board

These posters have their own history. The original paintings were acquired by British Occultists in the 1970's. Around 1976 a few hundred sets of these posters were printed. This is the only publication of these designs that there has been. Posters survive far less well than books, which are only rarely pinned to walls! Moreover posters are not collected by libraries, and their existence is not recorded in catalogues and bibliographies. These posters have become highly sought after by those few who knew of them. In over twelve years of esoteric bookdealing specialising in these areas I have had only a single poster pass through my hands, and that was more than five years ago. Though not in Very Good condition I was bombarded for orders for it at £70. I was delighted to discover that a limited number had survived in a quite unexpected quarter. Acquired for a project that did not come to fruition, and then stored away and forgotton. I am pleased to now offer a set of all three posters in Fine condition for £75 plus postage and packing. (UK £3, Europe airmail £4, Rest of the world airmail £5)



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