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Rudyard Kipling — Under the Deodars
London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington, [1890]
Indian Railway Library No. 4
A handsome and unusually well-preserved collector\'s copy of one of Rudyard Kipling\'s scarce early Indian Railway Library volumes, here elevated in a fine signed binding by Stikeman & Co. of New York.
Published as No. 4 of Kipling\'s celebrated Indian Railway Library series, Under the Deodars represents an important moment in Kipling\'s early literary career, capturing his observations of Anglo-Indian society and colonial life before his worldwide fame.
The volume contains several memorable early Kipling stories, including:
The Indian Railway Library books were issued as inexpensive railway reading in fragile paper wrappers and were intended for immediate use rather than long-term preservation. As a result, surviving examples retaining their original wrappers are increasingly desirable among Kipling collectors.
This copy is especially notable because the original wrapper material has been preserved:
Original pictorial front wrapper laid in
Original rear wrapper bound in at the rear
Original advertising material retained
The fragile original issue has then been carefully preserved in a handsome signed binding by the noted New York bindery:
Stikeman & Co.
The binding features:
A beautiful example combining early Kipling literary importance with fine American bookbinding.
Condition
Very Good.
The Stikeman binding remains sound and attractive.
Leather spine has mellowed from green to olive-brown with age.
Light rubbing and wear to spine edges and extremities.
Text block firm.
Interior generally clean.
Original wrappers preserved but show expected age, chipping, and wear from the fragile original issue.
Advertising material retained.
Given the ephemeral nature of the Indian Railway Library series, preservation of the original wrappers is a significant feature.
Collector Notes
A desirable copy for collectors of:
Rudyard Kipling first and early editions
Indian Railway Library titles
Victorian literature
British colonial history
Fine bindings
American signed bookbinding examples
The combination of an early Kipling Railway Library issue, surviving original wrappers, and a signed Stikeman & Co. binding makes this substantially more collectible than ordinary copies.
A distinguished addition to a Kipling collection or fine private library.
