Alice Ethel Coomaraswamy, née Richardson (a.k.a. Ratan Devi)

Born: October 1889 in Sheffield, England.

Died: 15 July 1958 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Alice Ethel Coomaraswamy, née Richardson, also known as Ratan Devi. She was born in Sheffield, England to George Richardson and Sarah Faulkner in October of 1889. She was the English wife of the famed Indian art historian Ananda Coomaraswamy. She met him in 1910, most likely at a recital of folk songs given by pupils of the collector of folk songs and cultural revivalist Cecil Sharp. Alice accompanied Ananda Coomaraswamy on a trip to India in 1911 and became his second wife in 1913 in St. Pancras, London. They had two children, Narada Coomaraswamy and Rohini Coomaraswamy. They lived on a houseboat in Srinagar, Kashmir, whilst she studied Indian music with Abdul Rahim of Kapurthala, and her husband researched Rajput paintings of northern India.

Once back in London, Alice became noted for her recitals of Indian music which were often introduced by an explanatory lecture given by her husband. The performed widely in the UK under the name Ratan Devi and in Indian dress.

It is not known how Alice and Crowley met, but they had a substantial relationship while Crowley was living in New York in 1916. Ananda Coomaraswamy had asked Crowley to help promote his wife's performances in 1916. Crowley wrote reviews of her in Vanity Fair and offered letters of introduction for her. Crowley nicknames her "The Monkey" and they quickly became lovers and magical partners, engaging in sexual magic by 15 April 1916.

Alice became pregnant. Crowley says that her husband was quite aware of their affair and had even encouraged it, wanting Crowley to take on her living expenses while in New York. Crowley, in exchange, introduced Ananda to Gerda Maria von Kothek, a prostitute and previous lover of Crowley's. Ananda and von Kothek were soon living together.

When Alice's career began to take off, her husband wanted her back. Alice loved Crowley, but, for whatever reason, decided to return to England with her husband. She had a miscarriage as a result of sea sickness on the voyage. Crowley blamed Ananda for the death of his child and hated him for it.

After her divorce from Ananda Coomaraswamy she married Francis Bitter on 31 May 1928 in Manhattan, New York.