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Correspondence from Philip Kaplan to Karl Germer
Jan. 30, 1961
Dear Karl:
Glad to hear about your good health and hope that you will enjoy many many more years of it. I hope that when I am 76 I will enjoy life as you do at the moment. Our winter has been most cold, with great piles of snow surrounding us from all sides.
You ask if I read German. I do when it's simple as, for instance, a short poem or a caption in a magazine, but little beyond that. I am glad to hear that someone is doing a serious book on A.C. and I certainly would be interested in getting a copy when it is published.
In line with this, I want to tell you of my own decision regarding Crowley: I finally arrived at a point where I felt that my collection would do more good in the Library of a University, where fresh and curious minds could use this wonderful material and really do something worthwhile with it.
This will come as a surprise to you, I know, but I think you will understand why I had this opinion. I feel I was inadequate to make historical use of A.C.'s collection and that it was selfish of me to keep it only for my own personal collector's pride.
Almost immediately following this decision, a well-established New York dealer, unsolicited, offered to buy the lot, and I have just sold it to him.
I am writing the above to you only, because of our friendship and because you have been so helpful and kind, for which I am very grateful.
After the dealer places it, I will let you know the name of the University that acquired it.
I'll be happy to hear from you when you can write. My very best wishes to you and your wife from both of us.
Sincerely,
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