{"product_id":"lays-of-ind-comic-poems-illustrative-of-english-life-in-india-aliph-cheem","title":"Lays of Ind; Comic Poems Illustrative of English Life in India, Aliph Cheem","description":"\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"4\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eLays of Ind; Comic, Satirical and Descriptive Poems Illustrative of English Life in India, Aliph Cheem — Ninth Edition\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"5\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"5\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003ePublication:\u003c\/b\u003e London, W. Thacker and Co., 1893\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"6\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"6\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eFormatting:\u003c\/b\u003e 8vo, pp. [viii], 237.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"7\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"7\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eCondition Report:\u003c\/b\u003e Very Good. The publisher's original pictorial cloth binding remains remarkably tight, square, and structurally sound, boasting an exceptionally bright and unoxidised gilt block to the upper board and spine. There is some minor shelf-wear to the extremities, primarily consisting of light bumping and rubbing to the corners and the head and tail of the spine, alongside a faint dulling to the rear board's blind-stamped crest. The all-edges-gilt text block retains a handsome lustre with only superficial scuffing. Internally, the volume is clean, with the hinges holding firm and the pages remaining free from notable foxing or damp-staining, perfectly preserving the crispness of the text and the numerous internal illustrations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"8\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"8\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eCatalogue Note:\u003c\/b\u003e This highly attractive ninth edition features the famously ornate publisher's binding, heavily and handsomely decorated in gilt. The upper board boasts a series of intricate, compartmentalised vignettes illustrating scenes of colonial Indian life, ranging from tiger hunting and palanquin transport to idle smoking and administrative duties, making it a splendid example of late-Victorian trade binding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"9\"\u003e‘Aliph Cheem’ was the pen name of Major Walter Yeldham (1837–1916), a British cavalry officer who served extensively in India. First appearing as individual verses in colonial newspapers, his poems were later compiled into these exceedingly popular volumes, becoming a staple on the bookshelves of nearly every Anglo-Indian household of the period.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"10\"\u003eWhile earlier editions of this work frequently surface with heavy wear and textual damage due to the harsh Indian climate and enthusiastic readership, this later Victorian printing survives in remarkably bright condition. Highly decorated copies in this state of preservation are increasingly scarce on the open market, appealing equally to collectors of 19th-century publishers' bindings and historians of the British Raj.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"11\"\u003eA vibrant and affectionately satirical window into the daily realities of the British Raj, \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"11\" data-index-in-node=\"98\"\u003eLays of Ind\u003c\/i\u003e captures the eccentricities, social faux pas, and sporting adventures of 19th-century colonial society. Through sharply observed comic verse and charming illustrations, Aliph Cheem immortalises the soldiers, civil servants, and memsahibs who navigated life in a profoundly foreign climate, resulting in an immensely entertaining artefact of imperial history.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Broadhursts Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54292633813331,"sku":"4448","price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0960\/1469\/6787\/files\/20260623_131112.jpg?v=1783925173","url":"https:\/\/broadhurstsbooks.com\/products\/lays-of-ind-comic-poems-illustrative-of-english-life-in-india-aliph-cheem","provider":"Broadhursts Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}