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'''Arthur Gebhard''' was a German-American manufacturer whose [[Gebhard Family|family]] was close to [[Helena Petrovna Blavatsky]] in the early days of the [[Theosophical Society]]. | '''Arthur Gebhard''' was a German-American manufacturer whose [[Gebhard Family|family]] was close to [[Helena Petrovna Blavatsky]] in the early days of the [[Theosophical Society]]. | ||
== Personal life == | == Personal life == | ||
'''Arthur Heinrich Paisley Gebhard''' was born on [[December 29]], 1855 at Elberfeld, Wuppertal, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. His father was Gustav Gebhard (1828-1900), a consul with manufacturing interests, and his mother was Frances Catherine Mary l'Estrange (1832-1892), known to her friends as Mary. | '''Arthur Heinrich Paisley Gebhard''' was born on [[December 29]], 1855 at Elberfeld, Wuppertal, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. His father was Gustav Gebhard (1828-1900), a consul with manufacturing interests, and his mother was Frances Catherine Mary l'Estrange (1832-1892), known to her Theosophist friends as Mary. | ||
In 1878, Gebhard moved to the United States, representing his family's manufacturing interests in New York and Boston. He was granted citizenship on May 17, 1889.<ref>Passport application. January 7, 1914. U.S., Passport Applications, 1795-1925 at Ancestry.com.</ref> | |||
On December 3, 1894, he married Harriet Luise Wilhelmine Frida Adolphe Bürger in Berlin.<ref>Berlin, Germany, Marriages, 1874-1936 in Ancestry.com.</ref> | |||
Later he married a widow, Marie-Josephe von Hoesch, née von Carlowitz (b. Jan. 7, 1888), with whom he had two sons: Rollo (b. July 7, 1921; married to Hildegard Freyer; d. 2013) and Vidar Arthur Eward (b. Oct. 2, 1928, when his father was 73 years of age; d. 1910, London). In 1913, Arthur Gebhard officially added his mother's family name to his own, becoming known as ''' Arthur Gebhard-L’Estrange'''. His sons used the surname Gebhard. | |||
In 1913 he spent some time in Dresden on "literary work,"<ref>Passport application. January 7, 1914. U.S., Passport Applications, 1795-1925 at Ancestry.com.</ref> and in the 1930s he spent time in Switzerland. He was one of the first patrons of Wagner’s musical dramas, at Bayreuth, Bavaria, recognizing their occult significance. | |||
World War II found Gebhard was living in England. He died at Newton-Abbot on [[October 11]], 1944. | |||
== Theosophical Society involvement == | == Theosophical Society involvement == | ||
While living in the United States, Arthur was on friendly terms with [[Mohini M. Chatterjee]] and [[William Quan Judge]]. For a time he joined them in publishing [[The Path (periodical)|''The Path'']] magazine. He took active part in the [[Theosophical Movement]], lecturing on Oriental philosophy at salons and other meetings. He frequently visited his relatives at Elberfeld, where [[Helena Petrovna Blavatsky|H.P.B.]] and other Theosophists were also staying. | |||
In collaboration with [[Mohini M. Chatterjee]], who had by then become a critic of the Theosophical Society, he drew up a document that [[Helena Petrovna Blavatsky|Madame Blavatsky]] (H.P.B.) regarded as a "manifesto." Entitled "A Few Words on The Theosophical Organization," it was filled with criticism of TS President-Founder [[Henry Steel Olcott]], alleging despotism. H.P.B. wrote a powerful reply that has come to be called [[The Original Programme of the Theosophical Society|"The Original Programme of The Theosophical Society."]] That response was a statement on the basic platform of the T.S. and its policies, and a defense of Colonel Olcott. Both the "manifesto" and the "programme" were published in 1931 in the Adyar Pamphlets series, with an introduction by [[Curuppumullage Jinarājadāsa |C. Jinarājadāsa]]. | |||
Toward the end of his life, in 1940, Arthur Gebhard published a little book entitled '''''The Tradition of Silence''''', in which he paid tribute to H.P.B. and her work. | |||
== Additional resources == | |||
* [https://theosophists.org/library/books/original-programme-of-the-theosophical-society/ The Original Programme of the Theosophical Society]. "A Few Words on The Theosophical Organization" is included. | |||
* [http://www.philaletheians.co.uk/study-notes/theosophy-and-theosophists/the-original-programme-of-the-ts.pdf The Original Programme of the Theosophical Society]. "A Few Words on The Theosophical Organization" is included. | |||
== Notes == | == Notes == | ||
Revision as of 17:54, 20 January 2022
Arthur Gebhard was a German-American manufacturer whose family was close to Helena Petrovna Blavatsky in the early days of the Theosophical Society.
Personal life
Arthur Heinrich Paisley Gebhard was born on December 29, 1855 at Elberfeld, Wuppertal, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. His father was Gustav Gebhard (1828-1900), a consul with manufacturing interests, and his mother was Frances Catherine Mary l'Estrange (1832-1892), known to her Theosophist friends as Mary.
In 1878, Gebhard moved to the United States, representing his family's manufacturing interests in New York and Boston. He was granted citizenship on May 17, 1889.[1]
On December 3, 1894, he married Harriet Luise Wilhelmine Frida Adolphe Bürger in Berlin.[2] Later he married a widow, Marie-Josephe von Hoesch, née von Carlowitz (b. Jan. 7, 1888), with whom he had two sons: Rollo (b. July 7, 1921; married to Hildegard Freyer; d. 2013) and Vidar Arthur Eward (b. Oct. 2, 1928, when his father was 73 years of age; d. 1910, London). In 1913, Arthur Gebhard officially added his mother's family name to his own, becoming known as Arthur Gebhard-L’Estrange. His sons used the surname Gebhard.
In 1913 he spent some time in Dresden on "literary work,"[3] and in the 1930s he spent time in Switzerland. He was one of the first patrons of Wagner’s musical dramas, at Bayreuth, Bavaria, recognizing their occult significance.
World War II found Gebhard was living in England. He died at Newton-Abbot on October 11, 1944.
Theosophical Society involvement
While living in the United States, Arthur was on friendly terms with Mohini M. Chatterjee and William Quan Judge. For a time he joined them in publishing The Path magazine. He took active part in the Theosophical Movement, lecturing on Oriental philosophy at salons and other meetings. He frequently visited his relatives at Elberfeld, where H.P.B. and other Theosophists were also staying.
In collaboration with Mohini M. Chatterjee, who had by then become a critic of the Theosophical Society, he drew up a document that Madame Blavatsky (H.P.B.) regarded as a "manifesto." Entitled "A Few Words on The Theosophical Organization," it was filled with criticism of TS President-Founder Henry Steel Olcott, alleging despotism. H.P.B. wrote a powerful reply that has come to be called "The Original Programme of The Theosophical Society." That response was a statement on the basic platform of the T.S. and its policies, and a defense of Colonel Olcott. Both the "manifesto" and the "programme" were published in 1931 in the Adyar Pamphlets series, with an introduction by C. Jinarājadāsa.
Toward the end of his life, in 1940, Arthur Gebhard published a little book entitled The Tradition of Silence, in which he paid tribute to H.P.B. and her work.
Additional resources
- The Original Programme of the Theosophical Society. "A Few Words on The Theosophical Organization" is included.
- The Original Programme of the Theosophical Society. "A Few Words on The Theosophical Organization" is included.