The article that I will be analyzing is one from the Los Angeles Archivists Collective. “The Manly P. Hall Alchemy Archive: A Brief History of an Occult Collection”  was articulated by Derek Christian Quezada. Manly P. Hall was a lecturer on the spiritual and occult and in 1934 formed the Philosophical Research Society. 

This particular collection, owned by Hall until his death in 1990, was acquired by the Getty Research Institute. The collection is composed of 243 manuscripts and over 200 rare books, covering topics ranging from the 16th to the 17th century. 

Included in this collection is ‘a collection of 30 manuscripts bound in one volume, reputed to have come from the library of Count Cagliostro.’ There is some uniqueness to many of the manuscripts because each one is written and illustrated by hand, and many are unattributed with little provenance. 

There are some comments about the unknownness of the collection, which has diminished due to ‘the exhibition.’ It is presumed here that the exhibition was put on by the GRI, but the article merely states that the collection still exists today at the PRS, but after the GRI’s acquisition it is a mere reflection of what it had been. 

While the article conforms to the aims of the SAA Code of Ethics in some regards there are minor points within the article that could use some elucidation that would supplement the work of Manly P. Hall.

To start, archivists should strive to expand access and usage opportunities for users, and potential users, of archival records (https://www2.archivists.org/statements/saa-core-values-statement-and-code-of-ethics SAA Code of Ethics). This article definitely does not detract from the publicity of the LA Archivists Collective article on Manly P. Hall. In fact it was with a simple google search, including the terms ‘occult, archive collections’ and it was before the fifth page that I stumbled across the Collective’s article. 

One of the Core Values of Archivists, according to the SAA, is that their work includes identifying and preserving essential records that document the cultural heritage of society. Another is that of organizing and maintaining the documentary record of institutions, groups, communities, and individuals. The latter remark is addressed in the LA Archivists Collective where it is stated that “‘book by book, building on the great truths of illuminated thinkers such as Pythagoras…and Mohammed; along with other prophets and sages’” into the ‘wisdom library’ for the use of students and seekers of ineffable truth (https://www.laacollective.org/work/the-manly-p-hall-archive). This quote suggests that the work of Manly P. Hall’s Alchemy Archive contributes immeasurably to the cultural heritage of society, due to the role that these spiritual ‘wisdom teachers’ supplied to the mystical, religious, and esoteric nature of their work. The spiritual teachers were all gathered together and organized by Hall in his seminal work, The Secret Teachings of All Ages – which I’ll touch on shortly, additionally they were studied, reiterated, and re-interpreted for a modern age by Hall’s own efforts. 

The article quotes a librarian, Bruce Gilbert, who was tasked with cataloging the collection in saying ‘From the point of view of the historian of culture, the collection here is important; and from the point of view of the occultists, this collection is singularly valuable.’

What follows is a brief biographical account of Manly P. Hall. He was raised in Canada by his grandmother. At 19 he moved to Santa Monica, to live with his mother who was, the article states, a Rosicrucian and chiropractor. Hall found success as a local preacher and lecturer on spiritualism. His success as a showman and guru was undeniable but his passion was with the occult and esoteric. He sought out rare materials in libraries, bookstores, and auction houses. He was a traveler. Eventually, at an undisclosed age, he published The Secret Teachings of All Ages, which the article goes on to say was an accessible synthesis of the secret doctrines of the ancients. 

Here follows, in the last paragraph of the article, a number of questions that appear to challenge the veracity of Hall’s work and efforts due to the supporting financing of Caroline and Estelle Lloyd. There is a substantial investment that Caroline Lloyd provides to Manly P. Hall, however I do not seem to find the source for the “Connections” that Hall had supposedly acquired due to Lloyd’s involvement with his life. 

Changing the name of the Archive is not without precedence, and there is an interesting remark from Quezada about the question being raised whether the GRI should make exceptions to view the physical holding when it’s considered a ritualistic act to commune with the aura of the object. 

The question that I found to be the most interesting was: on what claim does the repatriation of occult materials merit when viewed as religious artifacts, especially when tied to the PRS? Do we keep the occult artifacts or return them to their country of origin?

Superscript 2, points to a wikipedia page.