Twentieth Century Impressions Of British Malaya: Its History, People, Commerce, Industries, And Resources. Wright, Arnold.

First edition, first impression, of this superbly illustrated encyclopaedic study of Britain's interests in Malaya at the turn of the 20th century. Many separate subsections covers topics such as botany, finance, education, major exports - rubber, coconuts, and pineapples - sports, and everyday life and customs. Photographs found on almost every page make this the most expansive book on Malaya published before the First World War. A frontispiece shows Sir John Anderson (1858-1916), the 16th Governor of the Straits Settlements. Large octavo. Original dark red hard-grain morocco, low bands, spine lettered in gilt, compartments with gilt foliate lozenges, front board with blind and gilt panels enclosing gilt flag of Straits Settlements, rear cover panelled in blind, marbled endpapers, hinges strengthened with red linen tape as issued, edges gilt. Profusely illustrated with half-tones. Binding sturdy, leather retouched, small loss at foot of rear joint, contents lightly cockled but clean: a very good copy.