“The Lamp” was the first Theosophical magazine published in Canada.
Its first number appeared in August, 1894, three and a half years after the
first Canadian branch of the Theosophical Society had been chartered in
Toronto.
Although this early journal was
the brainchild and effort of Toronto members, it was not an organ of the
Toronto Theosophical Society except for the first three issues.
Largely financed by Samuel
Beckett, the voluntary Editor/Publisher was Albert E.S. Smythe. Several early
contributors were among the pioneers of Theosophy in Canada, but much of the
content was from Smythe’s own pen.
Smythe had first come to learn of
Theosophy in 1884 when he met William Judge onboard the ship on which he was
immigrating to the United States. In 1891 he started the Theosophical branch in
Toronto and later he followed William Judge when conflicts split the Theosophy Society
into two separate organizations in 1895.
From the beginning, The Lamp had what today seems an
incredibly large press run of 5,000 copies. In those years were published a
dozen or more Theosophical magazines in various countries, and some were
excellent journals. In spite of this competition, however, The Lamp must have had a special appeal, because before long it had
an international circulation.
Perhaps this was due not so much
to the quality of the articles, but rather because discerning students of
Theosophy everywhere could recognize its unique value. That is to say, its
columns were open to all views — a Smythe hallmark.
Monthly publication continued until
the issue of January 1897. It was suspended when Smythe left to spend a year
and a half recuperating (in his native Ireland) from a breakdown.
On his return he was kept busy on
lecture tours across America on behalf of the break off Theosophical Society in
America then under the leadership of Katharine Tingley.
After his expulsion from that
organization in 1899, Smythe returned to Toronto and his former activities.
Publication of The Lamp resumed in September 1899, with
no editorial explanation of the break, and even continuing the pagination from
the last issue in 1897!
Starting with the November 1899
issue, D.N. Dunlop, a well-known Irish Theosophist also expelled by Mrs Tingley,
is named as Associate Editor. However, his participation seems to have been
limited by providing occasional short articles.
Starting with Volume IV (March
1900) the magazine was enlarged and appeared in a new format and given a cover.
This final volume contains only seven monthly issues: publication ceased in
September 1900 with the forty-third issue.
For nearly twenty years
thereafter, as far as is known, the only Theosophical publications in Canada
were bulletins put out by the branches. Finally, in March 1920 appeared the
first issue of The Canadian Theosophist,
also edited by Albert E.S. Smythe by then a respected editor of daily
newspapers (Toronto, Hamilton).
~ * ~
- And the list of authors and article can be read here.
(Note: more information on The Canadian Theosophist in next
article.)
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