India.- Simpson (William) & Sir John William Kaye. India Ancient and Modern,. A series of illustrations of the country and people of India and adjacent territories, first edition, chromolithographed decorative dedication heightened with gold, 50 fine chromolithographed plates after Simpson mounted on thin card, paper guards, with additional oval photographic portrait of Simpson mounted as frontispiece, plates 5 & 29 with small adhesions to plates from paper guards, plates 36, 42 & 45 with stain to fore-margin not affecting images, contemporary half red morocco, spine gilt, g.e., rubbed, large folio, Day & Son, 1867.

⁂ Excellent copy of a scarce work. Simpson arrived in Calcutta in October 1859, having been commissioned to illustrate a work on India. Over three years he visited much of the subcontinent, including the Himalayas, Kashmir, Ceylon, Tibet and its Buddhist temples. In addition to landscapes the superb plates depict cave temples, street scenes, priests and monks, craftsmen and everyday activities such as grinding corn and collecting water.