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Correspondence from Karl Germer to Philip Kaplan
West Point, Calif. Box 173
Nov. 21, 1958.
Dear Philip:
Your letter of Nov. 17.
First let me straighten you out on Robb's [Norman Robb] copy of Confessions [The Confessions of Aleister Crowley] III. In my copy there were 2 passages missing or unclear. (It is quite possible that your copy won't show these defects—):—
p. 91. last line should read "which was duly purged by the payment of a small fine."
p. 100. the end reads:—"After a bare month's comparative health I acquired an ulcerated throat which knocked me out completely till the end of the year".
This is the end of the last existing galley proof. As I told you there are half a dozen pages more in the full text of which we have only a German translation.
Now about duplicating machines. I went to Stockton yesterday and have not been able to see the Eastman man, but left word to send me full data.
However I saw the people of THERMO-FAX a machine made by the Minnesota Mining and Mafg Co.; I have used their method before in the East and I believe it is an excellent system. You should be able to get their machine (I think Model 22 is the one for our purpose) demonstrated in N.Y. Price $299.00. Plus 4% tax.
This machine uses a photo-electric method on sensitive paper and gives clean rapid work. They claim 4 seconds per copy which does not include handling. However, each sheet of their paper costs 5 cents, in large quantity possibly 4-1/2 cents.
Now the 4 vols of the Confessions run to 1250 pages, which makes it $65 for the paper alone. However, there would be no proof-reading, no typing errors, and a clean fine job.
Of course, I'd have to tear the binding, but that can't be helped. (They have a Mod. 19, where this might not be necessary, but it costs $499.00; yet I doubt that I could open up the volumes wide enough for a good job.
In each case the machine demands an operator, a tedious, grueling, grind, for 1250 pages, especially so if I'd have to get several sets made. I'm going to ask Robb if he'd care to pay for a set. I must have one spare set for this library, one must go to Zürich.
You mention a price of 2-1/2 cents, probably for the Eastman; but Thermo-Fax claim that their system is messy, with a liquid, each sheet has to dry, etc.—I expect to hear from Eastman.
But there must be several other good duplicating systems; I could not get more information in Stockton, nor see any listing in the Los Angeles phone book. Even Eastman are not listed!
The main point is that only a small number of copies being needed we cannot consider a system that requires stencils, re-typing, or so.
I am looking forward to your views on the matter. The way I can estimate so far, one set of the 4 volumes of the Confessions would cost around $100. Eastman, if the sheets run to 2-1/2 cents, would be cheaper.—
Of course I could also make a copy of Snowdrops [Snowdrops from a Curate's Garden] for Robb, which would be cheaper on the Thermo-Fax that photostat. My copy of this is about 90 pp., a nice handy book, unbound 5 to 6 dollars.
Let me hear from you about all this.
Sincerely
Karl.
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