C is for C&T Auctions - Forthcoming 12th December 'James Opie' Sale - Delhi Durbar

The third pracie on the forthcoming C&T Auction sales covers the second part of the collection of the late Pat Campbell, including or specifically the Delhi Durbar, C&T Auction Lots 261-299 inclusive.

Lot 272

Article: PAT CAMPBELL’S DELHI DURBAR

The Mughal term Durbar, translated as a Court, was adopted by the British Empire as an occasion marking the accession of a new British Emperor of India. There were only ever three of them under the British Raj, in 1877, 1903 and 1911. The initial occasion was to announce the culmination of the process whereby the British Crown, in the person of Queen Empress Victoria, took power over India from the East India Company after the Indian Mutiny. The 1911 Durbar was the only one attended by a reigning British monarch, George V. The 1903 Durbar, which it had been hoped that Edward VII would preside over, was instead guested by the king’s brother, the Duke of Connaught. It was arranged under the authority of the viceroy Lord Curzon, and was by some way the most spectacular occasion of the three, hence the favourite for depiction by modelers.

It could be described as a giant party for the Indian princes, and 1903 lays claim to it being the most bejeweled occasion that has ever taken place. Fifty state elephants were scheduled to take part, although only forty-eight were fit to participate on the day of the grand procession. The world’s press descended in force, including one journalist intent on using a new process to take photographs  in colour. Mortimer Menpes took three photographs of each subject through colour filters, processing them into full colour images using a pioneering photographic colour printing process that he had co-developed with Carl Hentschel.

The resulting book, published by A & C Black in 1903 with a hundred full colour photographs, was printed in a de luxe edition of 1,000 copies. An example of this is one of the highlights of the Pat Campbell Replica Durbar Collection, part of C & T Auction’s 12 December sale of toy soldiers.

As the book shows, there is no better subject for toy soldiers. Probably the most comprehensive (and expensive) series of models is by the Argentinian maker Beau Geste. Marlborough also was famous for an extensive series in their own distinctive style. The models of Bill Cranston and Pat Campbell (Replica) seem much more akin to Britains hollowcast and Toy Soldier Collection, while the fairly limited Durbar selection issued by Britains rather later, while suitably spectacular, does not actually fit in with earlier Britains so well.

Now that so many collectors are switching to spectacle rather than collecting by set numbers, adding Durbar figures to British Indian Army displays seems more and more the natural thing to do. Certainly, this was the late Pat Campbell’s favourite, and the impact of his Durbar display on opening the door to his Garden Shed number One was considerable. 800 figures massed in front of 22 feet of background buildings and more than 100 spectators made an indelible impression. Not since the days of George Palmer’s Durbar Collection, sold at Phillips in 1992 has such a unique extravaganza been on offer, not least because nearly all of them are Pat’s own creations for his own pleasure, never duplicated for anyone else.

My own interest in India has always been enhanced by the service given to the Empire by my grandmother and grandfather, as private secretary to Lady Brabourne, the wife of the Governor of Bombay, and Medical Aide de Camp to the Governor himself.

Pat Campbell, with his Replica brand producing both closish copies of famous figures and original designs of his own, was for many years the go to man for castings and commissions for everyone in the British Model Soldier Society. The good news is that Andrew Stevenson has decided, with Pat’s widow Margaret’s blessing, to take on the masters and machinery of Replica. He intends to follow in Pat’s footsteps. He has already made a superb set of four Governor of Bombay’s dismounted Bodyguards for the family tribute group in my collection.

James Opie

More details on the lots available, including nearly all the pictures, at www.the-saleroom.com. They are also hoping to offer (being completed at time of press-release) an online ‘flick-through’ version of the catalogue on the C & T website www.candtauctions.co.uk.

Other Highlights

Thanks to Mr Opie

for article and images.