Showing posts with label Antiquarian Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Antiquarian Books. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 13, 2024

Michael Blanding. The Map Thief. E. Forbes Smiley III. by Travis Simpkins

Michael Blanding. Investigative Journalist. Boston, MA. by Travis Simpkins


Portrait Sketch of
Michael Blanding
Investigative Journalist
Author of "The Map Thief"
by Travis Simpkins



Michael Blanding- "The Map Thief" Lecture


For more info, please visit:


Michael Blanding. by Travis Simpkins. The Map Thief. E. Forbes Smiley III

Thursday, December 7, 2023

Michael Blanding, Author and Journalist. The Map Thief. by Travis Simpkins

Michael Blanding. Author. The Map Thief. by Travis Simpkins


Portrait Sketch of
Michael Blanding
Investigative Journalist
Author of "The Map Thief"
by Travis Simpkins



Michael Blanding- "The Map Thief" Lecture


For more info, please visit:


Michael Blanding. by Travis Simpkins. Joan Blaeu, 1664. The Map Thief

Sunday, December 18, 2016

"The Most Holy Trinosophia" by The Count of Saint Germain


The Most Holy Trinosophia
by Le Comte de Saint Germain
Commentary by Manly P. Hall
Notes by Travis Simpkins

     Designated "the most precious known manuscript of occultism," The Most Holy Trinosophia by the Count of Saint Germain has long proved to be inspirational reading for students of Rosicrucianism and the esoteric in general. The "Trinosophia," meaning "Three-fold Wisdom," spans Alchemy, Essenian Cabbalism and Hermetism. The text is divided into 12 sections, which relate to the Zodiac and the Alchemical process. Many of my notes in this breakdown are paraphrased from the commentary by Manly P. Hall.

Section 1: Depicts the "relapsed" state of the human soul. From the dungeons of materiality the sages released themselves through the practice of their esoteric rites.
Section 2: The initiatory ritual begins. The neophyte makes a sacred sacrifice and the earth opens. He follows the black vaulted passage which leads to immortality. Upon a square chamber with four doors, he enters the white door of the higher mysteries (and the Philosopher's Stone). 
Section 3: The neophyte stands on the shore of a vast sea of ether that separates two worlds. Struggle and overcoming temptation to turn back lands him on the opposite side. (Alchemy: purification, passing the elements of the Stone through a bath). 
Section 4: The neophyte passes unharmed through a sea of fire. He uses a jeweled sword to vanquish a serpent at the altar in the House of Fire. The senses are controlled: Anger, hate and pride have been exiled from the soul. He rises into the light of day. (Alchemy: vapor rising from a heated vessel).
Section 5: The candidate next experiences the "mystery of the airy or intellectual principle." (Alchemy: he rises up and down and is reborn). The candid may return to the narrowness of his physical environment, but he can never again reduce his consciousness bestowed by the experience of initiation.
Section 6: The candidate having ascended through the four elements, now continues. The number 9 is important. The mastery of nine parts of the soul constitutes the completion of the Lesser Mysteries and the full control of all bodily faculties, functions and powers. 
Section 7: The initiate again assumes the attributes of the alchemical substance of the Philosopher's Stone. This section is devoted to the process of purification, consisting of three baths… a Divine Baptism. 
Section 8: This section is largely devoted to an understanding of the mystery of the alchemical salt. When the initiate "impregnates" himself with salt, it is equivalent to saying that he makes wisdom a part of himself. Salt is a preservative of bodies, just as wisdom is a preservative of souls. Salt of the Sages = Wisdom from experience.
Section 9: The initiate comes face to face with the last great enemy- death, which must be experienced, understood, and overcome. "Corruption is the beginning of decay and corruption is followed by death."
Section 10: Death is followed by resurrection. Man must die many times in order that he may finally achieve immortality. The three-fold mystery of the butterfly equated to the three degrees of the Mystery School: Larva, pupa, imago. Alchemy is the art of purifying malcontents and restoring them to their original celestial state.
Section 11: The attempt of the intellect to break away from bondage to the animal soul. A luminous quality intimates that the arduous operations of the alchemist are about to be rewarded.
Section 12: The pilgrimage of the adept is at last completed. Heaven, earth and man have been united by the indissoluble bonds of Hermetic Wisdom. The projection of the Stone is the final testing of the completeness of the Work. The gates of Universal Life are open, the veil of the mystae is lifted. The elemental spirits symbolizing bodily limitations acknowledge the mastery of the inner principles. The philosophic birth is complete. The ages acknowledge a new Master.



The Most Holy Trinosophia. The Count of Saint Germain. Section 1

The Most Holy Trinosophia. The Count of Saint Germain. Section 2

The Most Holy Trinosophia. The Count of Saint Germain. Section 3

The Most Holy Trinosophia. The Count of Saint Germain. Section 4

The Most Holy Trinosophia. The Count of Saint Germain. Section 5

The Most Holy Trinosophia. The Count of Saint Germain. Section 6

The Most Holy Trinosophia. The Count of Saint Germain. Section 10

The Most Holy Trinosophia. The Count of Saint Germain. Section 11

The Most Holy Trinosophia. The Count of Saint Germain. Section 12

The Most Holy Trinosophia. The Count of Saint Germain

The Most Holy Trinosophia. The Count of Saint Germain

The Most Holy Trinosophia. The Count of Saint Germain

The Most Holy Trinosophia. The Count of Saint Germain.

The Most Holy Trinosophia. The Count of Saint Germain

Sunday, October 16, 2016

"Origin of the Royal Arch" by George Oliver


The Order of the Royal Arch
Order of Masonry
by Rev. George Oliver, D.D.
Originally published in 1867
Cornerstone Book Publishers, 2013
Brief Review by Travis Simpkins

    Long considered to be an essential text on the subject, George Oliver's 1867 Classic Origin of the Royal Arch is truly an indispensable resource for students going through the York Rite Degrees of Freemasonry. By no means do I intend to offer a critique of a Classic and established work, but rather to point out a few of the virtues in it's content for those looking for information on the English Royal Arch Degree. 
     The core of the text begins with an integral question: Is the Royal Arch of ancient origin or of modern invention? In tracing the historical background of the ritual, an interesting picture is painted of the contentious relationship between the so-called Ancient and Modern Grand Lodges in 18th Century England. At the time, a decided effort was made to differentiate the two and each harbored goals set on undermining the other. George Oliver offers an insightful and balanced view in presenting the case… and shows how the Royal Arch was a very important factor in it.
      The remainder of the book focuses on the Word:

     "The mystery which overshadows the Word of Freemasonry has always been replete with interest, and constitutes the excitement that leads the inquirer from one degree to another, till he is rewarded by a participation in this ineffable secret"

     and the journey to find meaning within the symbolism and content of the Royal Arch:

     "…the Royal Arch, intended for the cultivation of every art and science that the human mind, in this sublunary state, is capable of."



Origin of the Royal Arch. George Oliver

Origin of the Royal Arch. George Oliver: Jewels

Origin of the Royal Arch. George Oliver: York Rite Freemasonry

Origin of the Royal Arch. George Oliver: Structure of Freemasonry

Origin of the Royal Arch. George Oliver: Keystone

Origin of the Royal Arch. George Oliver: Tracing Board

Origin of the Royal Arch. George Oliver: Mark Master coin

Origin of the Royal Arch. George Oliver: Ark of the Covenant

Origin of the Royal Arch. George Oliver: Tracing Board

Origin of the Royal Arch. George Oliver: King Solomon's Temple

Origin of the Royal Arch. George Oliver: York Rite Freemasonry

Origin of the Royal Arch. George Oliver: York Rite Freemasonry

Origin of the Royal Arch. George Oliver: Philadelphia Masonic Temple

Origin of the Royal Arch. George Oliver

Saturday, July 2, 2016

Michael Blanding, Investigative Journalist. The Map Thief. by Travis Simpkins

Michael Blanding. Journalist. The Map Thief. by Travis Simpkins


Portrait Sketch of
Michael Blanding
Investigative Journalist
Author of "The Map Thief"
by Travis Simpkins



Michael Blanding- "The Map Thief" Lecture


For more info, please visit:


Michael Blanding. The Map Thief. by Travis Simpkins. John Speed, 1676

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Michael Blanding. Investigative Journalist. The Map Thief. by Travis Simpkins

Michael Blanding. Investigative Journalist. Boston, MA. by Travis Simpkins


Portrait Sketch of
Michael Blanding
Investigative Journalist
Author of "The Map Thief"
by Travis Simpkins



Michael Blanding- "The Map Thief" Lecture


For more info, please visit:


Michael Blanding. by Travis Simpkins. The Map Thief. Gerard de Jode, 1578

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Michael Blanding, Author of "The Map Thief". by Travis Simpkins

Michael Blanding, 2015. by Travis Simpkins


Portrait Sketch of
Michael Blanding
Investigative Journalist
Author of "The Map Thief"
by Travis Simpkins



Michael Blanding- "The Map Thief" Lecture


For more info, please visit:


Michael Blanding. by Travis Simpkins. New England, 1631 by John Smith

Thursday, May 21, 2015

"The Map Thief" by Michael Blanding


"The Map Thief" by Michael Blanding
Gotham Books, 2014
Brief Review by Travis Simpkins

     On June 8, 2005, a librarian at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University noticed an exacto razor blade laying on the carpeted floor of the reading room… this chance observation signaled the end of a long three-year series of thefts committed by rare map dealer, E. Forbes Smiley III. With over two decades in the map business, Smiley was a respected connoisseur and scholar. Specializing in maps of early Colonial America, he helped assemble two of the most comprehensive map collections in the United States: the Leventhal Collection in the Boston Public Library and the Slaughter Collection in New York Public Library. Such lofty contributions to a field he obviously loved made it all the more troubling when it was revealed that he had been slicing maps from delicate books and stealing the objects he had once worked so passionately to preserve. All total, hundreds of maps worth millions of dollars may have been stolen by Smiley, though he only admitted to a small portion of the suspected thefts.
     In The Map Thief, Michael Blanding presents the case of E. Forbes Smiley III with a sensitive touch of humanity. The book doesn't just detail the crimes themselves, but explores the root cause of Smiley's desperation. Blanding paints the picture of a man with a lavish lifestyle, whose debts were mounting… and whose valiant attempt to save a small idyllic town in Maine further stressed his high-wire finances. Interwoven with the story of Smiley and his criminal trial, are the tales behind the creation of the ancient maps that were targeted as well. With a historian's sense of detail, the cartographic background provides proper compliment to this contemporary crime story. 
    All things considered, if any good came of the Smiley case, it is that it pointed out some of the security weaknesses in our revered cultural institutions… highlighting the flaws, some more obvious than others, that made them such soft targets for theft. In the end, perhaps we may be enlightened to new ways in which to protect our rare objects and valuable cultural heritage. 

Beinecke Library: The Map Thief. Michael Blanding

E. Forbes Smiley III: The Map Thief. Michael Blanding

Map of New England. John Smith: The Map Thief. Michael Blanding

Beinecke Library: The Map Thief. Michael Blanding

Michael Blanding: The Map Thief. Michael Blanding

Gerard de Jode, 157: The Map Thief. Michael Blanding

E. Forbes Smiley III as a young man: The Map Thief. Michael Blanding

E. Forbes Smiley III website: The Map Thief. Michael Blanding

New York Public Library: The Map Thief. Michael Blanding

Joan Blaeu, 1664: The Map Thief. Michael Blanding

E. Forbes Smiley III advertisement: The Map Thief. Michael Blanding

: The Map Thief. Michael Blanding

Boston Public Library: The Map Thief. Michael Blanding

E. Forbes Smiley III: The Map Thief. Michael Blanding

John Speed, 1676: The Map Thief. Michael Blanding

Graham Arader: The Map Thief. Michael Blanding

Cladius Ptolemy, 1482: The Map Thief. Michael Blanding

E. Forbes Smiley III: The Map Thief. Michael Blanding

John Seller, 1675: The Map Thief. Michael Blanding

E. Forbes Smiley III: The Map Thief. Michael Blanding

: The Map Thief. Michael Blanding

E. Forbes Smiley III: The Map Thief. Michael Blanding

Michael Blanding: The Map Thief. Michael Blanding

Michael Blanding: "The Map Thief"