Bonhams
Lot 179
J. D. Cunningham, A History of the Sikhs John Murray, London, 1853second edition, pp. 473, full title A History of the Sikhs from the Origin of the Nation to the Battles of the Sutlej, one coloured political map (frontispiece), one fold-out map of the Punjab, one fold-out genealogy of the Sikh Gurus, ownership inscription of E.[?] Hardy on title page, gilt-stamped leather, marbled endpapers and fore-edges 222 x 150 mm.Footnotes:Joseph Davey Cunningham was, as the title page has it, 'late Captain of Engineers in the Indian Army', and died in 1851, after which a second edition was prepared under the auspices of his brother Peter, who contributes a foreword. A handwritten note at the end of this foreword, perhaps by the E. Hardy whose ownership inscription is on the title page (in the same black ink), gives a short biographical note of Peter and of the four Cunningham brothers.Born in Pimlico in 1816, second son of Allan Cunningham, the poet and assistant of Chantrey the sculptor, by whose aid and interest appointments were obtained for the other three sons in the E. I. Company's service. The eldest, who died in December 1893, as General Sir Alexander Cunningham, in the Royal Engineers, became head of the Archaeological Survey. The third son was the author of this book: the fourth, Francis, was in the Bengal Artillery. Peter became a literary man in London, where he wrote the 'Handbook' for Murray's series, contributed '[...] and Table-talk' for many years for The Illustrated London News.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: •• Zero rated for VAT, no VAT will be added to the Hammer Price or the Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
