Descrizione

First Edition. With a portrait frontispiece, 40 plates of black and white photographs and a folding map. 4to, in the publisher's original green cloth, the upper cover lettered in gilt and decorated with gilt Himalayan village scene, the spine gilt lettered, t.e.g. xix, 332pp, 16pp ads. A nice copy of a book we seldom see, the textblock is clean and fresh and sturdy, the binding strong, the cloth with a bit of mild wear to the tips and corners and few little blemishes or spots. Some splitting to the endpaper at the front hinge which is still strong an tight. Reasonably discrete ex-libris markings of the John Crerar Library, these include an engraved bookplate, small purple ink stamps on the rear of many of the plates which in no way effect the side to be viewed, same on the rear of the folding map, small numbers at the foot of the spine embossed in silver.

Edizione: a very early western account of the eastern himalayas. white's memoir and travelogue of his time as a british political officer in the states of sikhim and bhutan. he provides extensive details on the region's geography, culture, and political landscape. the memoir includes his important early photographs of the area, including several monasteries, such as talung and gorina, and paro ta-tshang. an accomplished photographer, white was the first englishmen granted permission to photograph these monasteries. white was also present at the installment of ugyen wangchuck as the first king of bhutan and represented the british government at the enthronement ceremony. white developed a deep respect for king ugyen wangchuck, and wrote: "i have never met a native i liked and respected more than i do sir ugyen. he was upright, honest, open and straightforward."