INDIA - SIKKIM AT THE 1903 AND 1911 DELHI DURBARS Archive of material, compiled by W.H. Hodges, relating to the Sikkim Camp at the 1903 Delhi Durbar, Comprising: Autograph letter from Hodges to his wife Eva ('Eva darling', written from the 'Sikkim Camp. 7th[-8th] Jany. 03', describing at length his visit to the Durbar amphitheatre 'to see the Review of the native chiefs' retainers and witnessed one of the finest shows I am ever likely to see in my life...', seeing Lord and Lady Curzon, the 'magnificence of the trappings of the elephants, horses and carriages, the curious costumes... dancing horses, men in chain armour... a camel battery with peculiar old fashioned little canons mounted on them... the gold and silver canons of Baroda', the next day visiting the Durbar Exhibition ('fee was rs 5- raised to exclude natives'), and mentioning that the Sikkim Camp is 4 miles from the parade ground, that [by January 8] 'our camp is emptying fast... all the Kazis and their servants are leaving today... and the other officers leave by 10th or 11th', but 'last evening the Kumar [Sidkeong Tulku Namgyal, the heir apparent to the Kingdom of Sikkim] was taken out for a ride in Couch Behar's motor car... he occasionally has a try at my bike and is getting on very well...', 9 pages (final page incomplete), ink on paper, 8vo, Jan. 1903 Three 'Sikkim. Bhutan. Delhi Durbar Camp' circular metal discs, stamped with lettering, 55mm. circumference, [1903, or 1911] Delhi Durbar Medal (1911), portrait of King George V and Queen Mary on obverse, legend in Persian, which translates as The Durbar of George V, Emperor of India, Master of the British Land, and date 1911 on reverse A collection of 32 gelatin silver or albumen print photographs, including large (175 x 250mm.) view of the 1903 Delhi Durbar (captioned 'Procession of Elephants', with Sikkim contingency identified in a later hand); 14 views relating to the 1911 Durbar (including Bengal Camp, King and Queen, triumphal arch, stands by the Delhi Clock Tower, etc., typically images 115 x 169mm.), and 2 larger of the Sikkim camp, including fine view inside the tent, and Sidkeong on elephant outside the tent; unusual (?private camera) group of 12 views held in an envelope captioned 'The Tashi Lama's visit to India in company of Maharaja Kumar Sidkeong Tulku', including 2 of elephants (one seemingly with Sidkeong), 2 of an ornately decorated boat, with others mostly of crowds of onlookers, and the Ashoka pillar with lion capital in situ at Sarnath, images 120 x 85mm.; 3 miscellaneous, including Sir Charles Bell seated with the Maharaja and Maharani of Sikkim; Sikkim group; 'In front of the Palace at Gangtok. Dowager Maharani & Miss Gould... 1914', (group) Footnotes: 'ONE OF THE FINEST SHOWS I AM EVER LIKELY TO SEE IN MY LIFE' - An eyewitness account of the 1903 Delhi Durbar given by a member of the Sikkim delegation, with a group of photos, medal and unusual metal 'Sikkim Bhutan Camp' discs. Amongst the photographs of the 1911 Durbar are two good images of the tent in the Sikkim camp, which, alongside the Bhutan camp were 'the two most remarkable camps in the whole assemblage... entirely different from anything else at Delhi and a constant source of wonderment to the crowds which came and gazed' (The Historical Record of the Imperial Visit to India 1911, 1914, p.164). For a fine account of the Sikkim deputation's involvement at both the 1903 and 1911 Durbars, see Emma Martin, 'Sikkyong and the Making of Sikkim for the 1911 Delhi Durbar', in Bulletin of Tibetology, vol. 58, no.1., 1912. Provenance: Walter H. Hodges (1868-1938), who acted as assistant to the Political Officer at Sikkim from 1890 to 1917. Hodges attended both the 1903 and 1911 Durbars, in his role as Superintendent at the Agency Office at Sikkim, where he served under the resident Political Officer John Claude White, and subsequently Sir Charles Bell; by family descent to the vendor. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing