Edmond de PONCINS

An exceptional and hitherto unpublished manuscript, complete in 775 pages, chronicling the journey of the Vicomte Edmond de Poncins through India (cited in Numa Broc, Asie, pp. 376–377, and Afrique, p. 263 (for his explorations of the Pamirs and Ethiopia), and in Thiébaud, pp. 755–756, (for his works on hunting).

This record extends from 12 September 1891, with embarkation at Marseille, through to 12 June 1892, the date of departure from Karachi bound for Marseille.

Contemporary 3/4 green morocco binding, spine in five compartments numerously framed in black with fleurons-gilt tooling, boards framed in black along the leather edges, marbled endpapers; author’s bookplate pasted to the upper pastedown; red top edge.

775 pp. (misnumbered ch. 1–567, 567–774), 1 unnumbered page, 2 unnumbered leaves of table, and a few remaining blank leaves.

Important, unpublished manuscript recounting the travels of the Vicomte Edmond de Poncins across India covering the period from 12 September 1891 (embarkation at Marseille) to 12 June 1892 (departure from Karachi for Marseille).June 1892 (departure from Karachi for Marseille).

Presented in the form of a journal, it is written in brown ink, in a cursive yet legible hand.

The text includes all of the author’s observations on the regions traversed, the routes taken and modes of transport, hunting expeditions, notable acquaintances, and his relations with servants, etc.; it also records that he took photographs during his excursions.

Photograph album – Ulwar
1894 | 26 x 19 cm | one album
Album bringing together a total of 49 contemporary albumen print photographs (15.5 x 10.5 cm), laminated on thick card and mounted on guards. All of the shots are captioned by hand in the lower margin. Three other albums, containing 196 photographs, were sold at auction when the Viscount's collection was put up for sale by his heirs in 2003.
The album contains 49 photos, of which 29 are village scenes with people and animals (elephants, nilgai, camels, etc.),
8 views of the camp, 5 of people, including a surprising Fakir with high dreadlocks, 4 of the caravan and 3 landscapes. Contemporary binding in half green shagreen, spine decorated with blind tooled fillets and bands, gilt title in the second band, paper boards with several blind tooled frames, the first stamped in the centre with a gilt title.
Some rubbing, slightly worn corners, one of which is more significant, some small white spots. Some loose boards.
This album was put together by Viscount Edmond de Poncins, naturalist and adventurer descendant of Montaigne, during his trip to Rajasthan.
These photographs were taken in Ulwar (the Alwar district in Rajasthan), where the photographer visited in 1894, following his expedition to the State of Kanjut (today the Hunza Valley), the previous year.