Devries Blanche (2 results)

Second impression. Pioneering woman Yoga guru, Blanche DeVries' copy of Ellis's popular philosophical work on understanding ourselves and the world by perceiving life as a dance. This copy bears a warm gift inscription on the front fly: "To DeVries - a dancer of Life, of Time, Strength, Imagination and Grace - in the Theater of Karma. In appreciation, Hawley." From our research, it seems Hawley was the lodge name of a Mrs. Loring Andrews, a prominent woman teacher in Bernard's Tantric Order. Ellis's philosophy was quite influential on DeVries as in 1919, she opened a school in New York which combined Yoga with sensual dance, known as a Gymnosophy Institute. Gymnosophy combined nudity with meditation, dance, and Eastern philosophy, DeVries' studio being a pioneer institution in the movement. A few years later, Ellis would write the introduction to another pioneering work in the young movement, Maruice Parmelee'sThe New Gymnosophy,which was clearly inspired by Ellis and his ideas outlined inThe Dance of Life. An interesting copy with ties to multiple philosophical and cultural movements of the early 20th century. 8vo, 377pp. Warm gift inscription to [Blanche] DeVries on the front fly. Modern Indian binding of soft red leather tooled in gilt with brown spine label and gilt lettering, speckled page edges, marbled endpapers. Few pencil annotations and marginal markings, presumably by DeVries. Near fine copy in attractive binding, housed in a cloth covered slipcase.

Condition: Near Fine. Collection of over 200 pages of typescript notes annotated by Blanche DeVries, signed by her on an interior page. In modern Indian binding, full red leather, all edges flecked red, handmade red-flecked endpapers. Near Fine with light soiling and moderate rubbing to covers and sunning to spine; binding strong. Bookseller ticket to front pastedown. Housed in a matching red patterned leatherette slipcase with minor scuffing. Blanche DeVries and her husband Pierre Bernard are two of the most famous figures in the history of yoga in the United States. The two of them opened several yoga studios for women around New York in the 1910s and 1920s, paving the way for a movement that would eventually attract millions of practitioners. These notes, mainly ribbon copies with several carbons, shed light on DeVries' spiritual and philosophical development toward the beginning of her decades-long career as an instructor. Most entries consist of aphorisms and are undated, but several bear dates of 1921 - 1924, more than ten years before DeVries made history by independently opening the first woman-owned studio in America. All of the pages are annotated with check marks and corrections in DeVries' handwriting, and "done" is written at the upper right of most pages. One sheet is signed by the author with her surname. The red modern Indian binding matches other items from DeVries' collection and was likely commissioned by herself. The bookseller ticket indicates that the book was sold by Samuel Weiser, an antiquarian Esoteric bookstore founded in 1926. This likely took place after DeVries' death in 1984, while the store was still at its 740 Broadway location. This is the only manuscript item from her library that we could locate, providing a unique insight into the transition of yoga from a Hindu spiritual practice into a system for mental and physical discipline and self-discovery in the West.