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Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Jack, Six Views of Kot Kangra and the surrounding country, London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1847, 1st edition

Tinted lithographed pictorial title (missing), letterpress dedication and leaf of descriptive text, 6 finely hand-coloured lithographed plates by G Childs, J Picken, T S Boys and W Walton after Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Jack, some heightened with gum arabic, loose as issued within original red cloth-backed limp marbled boards, lithographed publisher’s printed label Lieut. Col. Jack's Views of Kot Kangra on upper cover; preserved in modern customized (with toggles) book box of Robert & Maria Travis.
60.6 x 44.4 x 1 cm
67 x 52 x 3.5 cm (solander box)

LIST OF PLATES
Title page (missing) / 1. Crossing the River Beeas / 2. Crossing the River Guj. / 3. Showing part of the road by which guns were taken up above the town of Milkera / 4. View of the mountains round Kot Kangra / 5. Gilt temple in the town of Mulkera / 6. Fortress of Kot Kandra.

Alexander Jack (1805-1857), of the Bengal Infantry, was present at the battle of Aliwal and acted as brigadier of the force sent against the fort at Kangra in the Punjab "where he received great credit for his extraordinary exertions in bringing up his 18-pounder guns, which he had been recommended to leave behind. The march was said 'to reflect everlasting credit on the Bengal artillery' " (DNB). Jack died during the Cawnpore Mutiny along with most of his men.

Kot Kangara is the strongest and most important of the hillforts in the Jalindhur Doab. It is a beautiful and fertile and is regarded as the "Cashmere of the Punjub".

The portfolio depicts the magnificent complete series of views demonstrating the passage of the British Force under Brigadier Wheeler during their campaign to capture Kangra Fort, Himachal Pradesh, from the Sikhs. It was the bloodless achievement that closed the glorious campaign of the Sutlej.

PROVENANCE
From the Collection of Robert and Maria Travis (book plate on the front pastedown)
Sotheby’s, The Library of Robert & Maria Travis: a pictorial record of India and the Far East, 2007, Lot 165
Acquired from the above
Important Private Collection, New Delhi

Reference: J R Abbey, Travel in Aquatint and Lithography 1770-1860, 473

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