The Imperial Tour of India, 1911-12. (A scarce programme and guide)

THEIR IMPERIAL MAJESTIES’ CORONATION TOUR. INDIA. 1911 – 12. Printed by Thacker, Spink and Co. [Calcutta]1st edition 2 coloured folding maps in rear pocket [Royal Tour India 1 inch to 152 miles showing routes & plan Coronation Durbar Delhi on a scale of 2 inches to 1 mile], 5 coloured folding plans & maps [Delhi Durbar Railway 1911; Delhi & environs showing cantonment , etc 1 inch to 1 mile; Calcutta 1 mile to 1 inch; Agra 1 mile to 1 inch; Bombay 1 mile to 1 inch], xv, 90pp. Original flexible blue suede covers with yapp edges, gilt blocked with title and imperial crown, retaining original gold coloured endpapers, a very clean copy of this scarce guide & programme with good tight text block, otherwise clean and with all maps undamaged and quite neatly folded.

The contents comprise: PROGRAMME 5pp- from landing in Bombay from HMS Medina, 11 th December through events of the Durbar in Delhi to the end of the tour on 10th January 1912; RAILWAYS OVER WHICH THEIR IMPERIAL MAJESTIES WILL TRAVEL .1p; THEIR IMPERIAL MAJESTIES’ SUITE AND STAFF 3pp including the Honorary Indian Aides de Camp – the rulers of Gwalior, Bikaner, and Rampur with Sir Pratap Singh and Sir Mohamed Aslam Khan; LIST OF RULING CHIEFS TO BE RECEIVED, INCLUDING TITLES AND GUN SALUTES 4pp – 101 prnices; PLACES TO BE VISITED – BOMBAY, DELHI, NEPAL, AGRA, JAIPUR, AJMER, BUNDI, KOTAH, CALCUTTA 90pp. This programme is an extremely unusual survival. Although there is no indication of a print run it is likely that this version was specially prepared, largely for members of the Royal Party on the Tour.