Old Diary Leaves (book)

First edition, 1895

Old Diary Leaves is a series of six volumes of extracts from the diaries of Henry Steel Olcott, President-Founder of the Theosophical Society. This material was originally selected by Colonel Olcott and published in issues of The Theosophist. Much of the early history of the Society is known mainly through Olcott's records.

Frontispiece, 1895

First Series (1874-78)

The first volume of the series was printed in 1895 as Old Diary Leaves: The True History of The Theosophical Society in New York and London by G. P. Putnam's Sons, and in Madras by "The Proprietors of The Theosophist." The frontispiece of the book was an image of the bronze medallion depicting Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, created by her friend William R. O'Donovan.

• 1895 edition text made available by Theosophical Society in the Philippines.
• 1895 edition PDF at Theosophy World website.

Second Series (1878-83)

The second volume of the series was printed in 1900 by the Theosophical Publishing Society in London and The Theosophist office in Madras, India. The subtitle was changed to "The Only Authentic History of The Theosophical Society."

• 1900 edition text made available by Theosophical Society in the Philippines.
• 1900 First Edition PDF at Theosophy World website. Scanned by Google Books.
• 1900 edition PDF at Blavatsky Archives website. Scanned by Google Books.

Third Series (1883-87)

The third volume of the series was printed in 1904 by the Theosophical Publishing Society in London and The Theosophist office in Madras, India, with the subtitle "The Only Authentic History of The Theosophical Society."

• 1904 First Edition text made available by Theosophical Society in the Philippines.
• 1904 edition PDF at Theosophy World website. Scanned by Google Books.
• 1904 First Edition PDF at Blavatsky Archives website. Scanned by Google Books.

Fourth Series (1887-92)

The fourth volume of the series was printed in 1910 by the Theosophical Publishing Society in London and The Theosophist office in Madras, India, after the death of Colonel Olcott. The Second Edition (truly a second printing) was in 1931 by Theosophical Publishing House in Adyar, Madras, India, followed by a third printing in 1975. The editor wrote:

It is six years since the Third Series of Old Diary Leaves appeared in book form, and it is nine years since the contents of the present Volume were published in the pages of The Theosophist. The author, Henry Steel Olcott, passed over in 1907, and as all who knew him well are aware, the publication of the whole of this 'true history of the Theosophical Society' was a matter that lay near his heart. There still remains sufficient material to fill one, if not two, additional Volumes, and it is hoped this will appear in due course, for the longer the lapse of time that separates the present membership of the Theosophical Society from its early history, the more important it is that the facts should be placed on record.

• 1910 edition text made available by Theosophical Society in the Philippines.
• 1910 edition text at Theosophy World website.

Fifth Series (1893-96)

The fifth volume of the series was issued in 1932 by the Theosophical Publishing House in Adyar, Madras, India, with a reprint in 1975. Olcott wrote of this period:

The year 1893 now opens up before us, and its events will be found to be very important. As previously shown, the rumblings of the coming tempest about Mr. William Quan Judge (1851 – 1896) were beginning to be heard. Towards the end of the year the arrival of Mr. Walter G. Old of the London staff, with the budget of notes and memoranda, which he had taken, enabled me by comparing documents to see the depth and fullness of treachery, which Mr. Judge had long been planning. I find from my Diary of 1893 that the greater part of the first day was spent by Messrs, Keightley, Old and myself in summarising the evidence in the case; and needless to say, all our hearts were filled with sorrow, for this was almost if not the very first case of downright perfidy in our Society’s history.

• 1932 edition text made available by Theosophical Society in the Philippines.
• 1932 edition text at Theosophy World website.

Sixth Series (1896-98)

The final volume of the series was issued in 1935 by the Theosophical Publishing House in Adyar, Madras, India, with a reprint in 1975.

• 1935 edition text made available by Theosophical Society in the Philippines.
• 1935 edition text at Theosophy World website.

Old Diary Leaves set, 1974-75

Source material

The original diaries are in the archives of the headquarters of the Theosophical Society based in Adyar, Chennai, India. The manuscripts were microfilmed in the 1960s and are available at several Theosophical libraries, including the Henry S. Olcott Memorial Library.