Oblong Folio (28x37,5 cm). 5 leaves pp. Thirteen watercolours mounted on recto and verso of the card album leaves, including eight larger ones, ca. 17,5x25 cm (7x10 in) or slightly smaller, and five smaller ones, ca. 12,5x17,5 cm (5x7 in). All watercolours captioned in ink on the lower margins of the album leaves, all but one are signed “CBT” and dated 1886 and 1909 in the lower left or right corners of the drawings. Manuscript title of the album on the first free endpaper “C.B. Templer. Octr. 1928. Exmouth. With sketches dating from 1886.” With a large cabinet portrait photo ca. 20x15,5 cm (7 ¾ x 6 in), captioned “Charles Johann” [?] in the right lower corner, mounted on the front pastedown. Period black half sheep with green pebble-grain cloth boards. Expertly rebacked in style, card mounts slightly age toned, otherwise a very good album.

An album of interesting watercolours of Ladakh (now a part of the Jammu and Kashmir State, India) executed by Major C.B. Templer of the Indian Army, 19th Regiment of Bengal Lancers (Fane’s Horse). He served in India in 1880-1893 and took part in the second Mirazai Expedition of 1891. During his service with the 19th Lancers Templer participated in the horse races and was the first holder of the Indian Grand National Trophy (Some reminiscences of Indian Sport// The Field, The Country Gentleman's Newspaper, Christmas 1922, p. 5). After the end of his career Templer lived in Execliff (Exmouth), actively travelled around Europe and also visited South Africa.

The album includes eleven accomplished watercolours made in Ladakh in 1886, during Templer's time in the Indian Army, including a view of “Leh, capital of Ladakh” with the Leh Palace in the centre and the Ladakh mountain range in the background, a panorama of a “Tartar Camp” near Ladakh with tents made of woolen blankets, portraits of a Buddhist Lama with the prayer wheel, Ladakh shepherd “Bipari, trader in sheep's wool,” and of a woman coolie. Five watercolours depict local animals, with expressive notes by Templer: “Ladakh Transport!! Yak, goat & sheep,” “Spiti Pony. Very hard, never shod!! Feet as hard as iron!!,” “Fighting Cock!,” “Watch dog - Guards the sheep, goats &c., protected by iron collars against Leopards, wolves &c.,” “Kyang – wild horse of Ladakh.” Another drawing shows the grave of Templer’s charger Sweetheart somewhere in the Ladakh hills, with a note: “She was with me for 18 years, was my Charger and won me eleven races!! She was perfection in every way!!” There is also a beautiful view of snow covered peaks of the Himalayas taken from the Narkanda mountain station near Simla. The last watercolour dated 1903 depicts a small bridge & stream at Rochefort, France. Overall a beautiful illustrative account on Ladakh.