The Making of a Frontier

London: John Murray, 1899. FIRST EDITION. With frontispiece portrait, 35 plates (of which 33 are photographs), and 1 folding map. Tightly bound in modern blue cloth with the original publisher’s front cover pasted on top, gilt spine; new endpapers, some browning and spotting, heavier on the first 20 pages, but overall a very good copy with an ownership signature dated 1909. First edition of Durand’s important personal narrative of his time spent in India and Pakistan, and the role he played in the development of the Gilgit frontier. In his preface, he attributes the exquisite photographs in this work to his colleague, Captain J. R. Roberts, the surgeon stationed with him at Gilgit. The photographs, along with Durand’s captive narrative, paint a vivid picture of the landscape, inhabitants, customs, and British involvement in India.

Little is known about Durand (1854-1923); he was a colonel representing British interests stationed in Gilgit from 1889-1894, and then later was appointed as military secretary to the Viceroy of India.