CAUNTER, Reverend John Hobart. The Oriental Annual, Or Scenes in India. London, Edward Bull, 1834.
8vo. Original pictorial full olive morocco, gilt edges; pp. [viii], 254, [2, advertisements], 25 steel-engraved plates on mounted India after William Daniell; a little wear to extremities, front cover with old repair to scratch, light marginal browning to plates; otherwise very good.
First edition, extremely rare large paper copy, of the first annual in this series, which was to be continued up to 1840. The fashionable preacher and writer William Caunter was fascinated by India and wrote this mix of information and entertainment probably for the family members who had remained in Britain and were not in India. Daniell's contributions make this a very handsome publication on India under the Raj. The normal format measures just over 20 by 14 cm, whereas this issue measures over 24 by 16 cm. This issue is on better vélin paper and the engravings - not foxed, as often - are on mounted India paper with tissue guards. This annual appeared between 1834 and 1840 (8 volumes, with two volumes dated 1839) as a gift book for British people who had members of their family serving in India.
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