1903 Delhi Coronation Durbar. Scarce official programme issued for the Viceroy’s Camp

CORONATION DURBAR, DELHI. No publication details and no title page [as is often the case with official and semi official publications in the Curzon era; the Viceroy’s autumn tour programmes also used only the gilt title on the cover as in this case] but probably published by the Military Secretary to the Viceroy, 1902. 1st edition small 8vo [7 x 5 ins]

Front pocket: large folding, coloured Plan of the British Position at Delhi maintained from 8th June to 10th September 1857, Rear pocket: Plan of Camps Delhi Coronation Durbar, 1902 -1903, 4 other folding maps and plans. [i] Index of maps and Plans, [i] Table of Contents, [i] Calendar for 1903, 65pp Programme. Original full red leather gilt, front board gilt blocked with the title beneath an imperial crown top left, gilt ruled spine, the binding sound but rubbed along the joints and with some wear to corners, original marbled endpapers  and pockets all edges red, the contents very clean with only the original owner’s signature A. Weston Jarvis to the ffep. The four folding maps and plans listed comprise:  Central Camp on a scale of 12 inches to a mile, Skeleton Map of Delhi and Part of Civil Station showing the route to be followed by the Procession on December 29th 1902 on a scale of 6inches to a mile, Plan showing the Distribution of Troops and General Arrangements for the Coronation Durbar, January 1st 1903 on a scale of 6 inches to 1 mile, small folding map of Delhi for the excursions) on a scale of 1 inch to a mile. The Programme is printed on facing pages only leaving left hand pages free for notes and is as follows: p 1 a summary of the Programme from December 29th 1902 to January 10th 1903. pp 2-14 a diary showing a page a day divided into morning, afternoon and evening.  pp 15 – 17 VICEROY’S CAMP List of Guests p 18 List of Central Camps 21 camps listed [Governors, Lt Governors, Chief Commissioners etc, with the Residents of the four senior rulers, Hyderabad, Mysore, Baroda, & Kashmir. pp 19 – 20 Ruling Chiefs. This list comprises 94 Indian Princes, the Ruler of Nepal, and 6 Shan Chiefs from Burma. pp 21 – 29 PROCESSION ON ARRIVAL. This section gives the order of march for the State Entry, including those who will be on elephants and those in carriages, preliminary disposition of elephants, etc and details of the close of the procession. pp 30 – 37 DURBAR. This section gives the objects of the Durbar, defines those attending, arrangement of seats, military arrangements, arrivals, arrival of the Viceroy, opening of the Durbar, the Proclamation, His Excellency’s address, the Presentation of the Ruling Chiefs. pp 28 – 43 Ceremonial…at Grand Chapter of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India…. This section details the ceremonial of the highest order specifically related to Indian serviced and lists those who are to invested with CSI, KCSI, or GCSI. pp 44 – 52 EXHIBITION OF INDIAN ARTS. Notes on the various features of the exhibits. pp 53 – 59 Imperial Forces at Delhi. Composition of the various Brigades with the names of Divisional and Brigade commanders, including Corps troops, the Imperial Service Contingent [under Colonel S Beatson, Volunteer Contingent, etc. pp 60 – 62 INTERNATIONAL POLO CUP. This section lists entrants [not with individual members of teams], ties, and has a list of the names of the Delhi Polo Club Committee [President – Colonel C W Muir]. 

We have only had three other copies of this book before and we believe it to have been printed in a run of only about 200 copies. There are about 140 guests listed in the Viceroy’s camp and copies of this programme were probably given to them and a few other high officials. There were separate programmes produced for at least some of the central camps but they are much simpler than this.. Drury is listed as a guest in the Viceroy’s Camp. A particularly unusual and scarce survival from the Durbar with an impeccable provenance. nov30/2

Provenance: Colonel Sir Alexander Weston Jarvis, C.M.G., M.V.O., T.D. [1855-1939] appears in the book on p 17 as one of the officers on the Staff of H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught. He had served in Africa, been M.P. for King’s Lynn,  and was later to command the 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) at Galliopoli.