British India and the Raj, and Royal Visitors. A late Victor...

Hammer

£280

British India and the Raj, and Royal Visitors. A late Victorian visitors' book, 'Complaint Book', Earl's Court, Raipur, C.P. [Chhattisgarh Province], dated from April 1897 to July 24th 1951, [54]ff, of which one leaf is signed George P. and Victoria Mary, the future King George V (1865-1936) and Queen Mary of Teck (1867-1953), as Prince and Princess of Wales during their 1905-06 tour of British India, the leaf, dated 16th March 1906, with the further autograph signatures of their courtiers, Anthony and Constance Ashley-Cooper, the Earl and Countess of Shaftesbury (1869-1961) and (née Grosvenor; 1875-1957), Col. the Hon. Sir George (1874-1952) and Lady Mary Crichton (née Dawson; 1887-1961), Lt.-Col. the Hon. Sir Derek (1863-1944) and Lady Bridget Keppel (née Harbord; d. 1951), Captain Sir Bryan Godfrey-Faussett (1863-1945), an indistinct Singh, and others, loosely-inserted lithographed menu from Government House, Karachi, dated 17th March 1906 and inscribed: Royal Visit/State Banquet/A.D. Younghusband/Commissioner in Sind- (?the owner of this volume), further inscribed leaves throughout, including the autograph of Field Marshal Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener (1850-1916), while Viscount Kitchener of Khartoum and Commander-in-Chief of the British Army in India, dated 18th Nov. 1908, Khengarji III, Maharajah of Kutch (1866-1942), George Curzon, 1st Marquess of Curzon (1859-1925), signed Curzon of Kedleston and dated November 20 1899 while Viceroy and as Baron Curzon of Kedleston, and his aide-de-camp Clive Wigram (1873-1960), later Baron Wigram, a later viceroy, Charles Hardinge, Baron Hardinge of Penshurt (1858-1944), other signatures in places, include Lt.-Col. Lord Charles (1868-1956) and Lady Cicely Cavendish-Bentinck (née Grenfell; 1872-1936), the explorer Lt.-Col. Sir Francis Edward Younghusband (1863-1942) and various members of his family, the geologist George Hyde Wollaston (1844-1926) and his wife, Brig.-Gen. William (1860-1923) and Constance Sitwell (d. 1908), frequent officers of the India Army, various regiments, including Lt.-Col. Stair F. B. Dalrymple Hay, further dignitaries and colonial officials, family friends, some of whom left informal/humorous comments, including a Boxing Day guest of 1902 who refers to the upcoming durbar, two guests from October 28th 1904 conclude that they 'Have habitually eaten too much!' and 'Plenty drink', a few weeks later - November 1st - another 'Had to leave the breakfast table rather hurriedly', further comments and an occasional complaint (i.e. 'Too much brandy with the pudding' and 'Too many boots in the tent') lead one to conclude that the 'Complaint Book', as lettered on the binding, is more of a joke rather than a hotel's repurposed volume, the owners of the volume took it visiting as some leaves are addressed from Calcutta,  Government House, Karachi, one or two leaves repaired at the inner-gutter, contemporary brown morocco gilt, perished spine, rubbed and bumped with some losses, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers, 4to