Hamilton, Douglas

Portfolio (30 7/8 x 20 5/8 in.; 782 x 525 mm). 14 lithograph plates (from 16 x 14 1/2 in.; 406 x 356 mm to 29 x 19 in.; 737 x 482) by James Ferguson after drawings by Douglas Hamilton; some foxing to plates. Slipcase in quarter brown calf over red cloth, green morocco labels with gilt text to spine and upper board, red and green cloth over board portfolio, paper label printed in brown on upper board.

Douglas Hamilton (1818 – 1892) was a British Indian Army officer, who, from 1837 to 1871, was gazetted to the 21st Regiment of the Madras Native Infantry. A well-known surveyor of the early British hill stations in South India, he was also an acute observer of nature. The some of the lithographs in this collection depict the Yercaud Valley, Mannavanur, and Kodaikanal.  In 1862, Sir Charles Trevelyan relieved Hamilton of his routine regimental duties, and gave him a roving commission to conduct surveys and make drawings for the Government. Many of the compositions in the portfolio date from this period.