The National Heraldry of the United Kingdom

Colombo (Ceylon, now Sri Lanka), 1903. Half Morocco. Very Good. 8vo. 18.5 by 14.5 cm. iv, 44 pp., the leaves made of heavy card stock. The author, a colonial officer for the British army, would later publish "The Annals of the King's Royal Rifle Corps," which contained his color illustrations of uniforms, arms and equipment, and other works. From this work, it is clear he had artistic aptitude, and as an officer in Ceylon, undoubtedly a lot of free time to indulge in the creation of this work. It would seem that this work was written with an eye on possible publication, but that did not come to be. Few will not be charmed by the many vignettes of badges and coats-of-arms, mostly rendered in bright watercolors, with some done as ink drawings. Also illustrated are flags and banners. Some of the tissue guards are heavily foxed, while the cards proper sometimes have offsetting from this soiling. A large chipped loss to the leather spine, with a partial loss of one letter of title. Still a very handsome album.