THE IMPERIAL IDEA
Montreal: Colin McArthur & Co, 1901. First Edition. Soft cover. Collectible Good. Item #5025030
1st and only printing. Oblong, silver-stamped, green cord-tied wraps. 23 printed leaves, including plates. 8" x 9 3/4". Illustrated with five beautiful full color plates and six b/w plates. In color: (1) The Imperial Idea expressed with coats of arms of the countries in the British Empire: Great Britain, Australia, India, South Africa, New Zealand, and Canada. (2) A gorgeous portrait of "Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen" (Victoria). (3) Representation in group form of eight military men representing various fighting men from the empire (Queensland Mounted Rifles, Northwest Mounted Police, etc.). (4) The British Lion standing on "Flag of the Empire." (5) Another group of fighting men from the Empire (Bengal Lancers, New South Wales Engineers, etc.). Additionally, there is one partially colored plate of the publisher's factory in Montreal, the "Montreal Wall Paper Factory, River Side View." The six black and white plates are as follows: First Canadian Contingent Leaving Quebec, Generals of the British Army (etc.) with unidentified portraits of 10 generals and admirals, Australian Battery Leaving Sydney, Farewell to Strathcona House on Parliament Hill Ottawa, Embarkation of Second New Zealand Contingent, South African Light Horse. This booklet is an unabashed celebration of how the colonies of the British Empire came to the support of Great Britain during the 2nd Boer War, and indeed while the conflict was still taking place. "When Paul Kruger with his burghers came down from Pretoria, ... threatening and intending to drive the British into the sea ... the spirit of the Lion ... broke out strong..." The booklet briefly describes the Canadian parliamentary action, prints a short numerical list ofl "Military Resources of the Colonies," and promotes the McArthur company in a page titled, "Commerce Follows the Flag." There are no records evident in my extensive research that this item has previously come up for auction or booksellers' sale. Original copies reside in six institutions, five of them in Canada. The green paper covers are faded at the edges, have a bit of light spotting, and have a few short edge tears. but no chips. The Canadian shield in silver on the front cover is strong, along with the title. The silver imprint of the publisher on the cover is not quite as strong. Certainly a good or better copy. Unabashedly Rare.
Price: $600.00