Beschreibung:

Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) - SS Rajputana - a unique collection of items collected by one Doris Starmer-Smith relating to Ghandi's trip aboard SS Rajputana whilst travelling from Bombay to the second Round Table Conference in London in August of 1931. The collection comprising: 1) a unique and never-before-seen photograph of Gandhi and his travelling party taken by Starmer-Smith showing Gandhi aboard the ship, beneath a funnel, appearing to be posing for photographs. The photograph has been mounted to piece a P&OSN Co 'SS Rajputana' stationery and is autographed by Gandhi along with fifteen others from his party and the Indian delegation. Other autographs include: Devdas Gandhi (Gandhi's son), Prabhashankar Pattani (prime minister or Diwan of Bhavnagar State in Gujarat, India), Ghanshyam Das Birla (founding president of Harijan Sevak Sangh), Madeline Slade (signed as Meera Behn - one of Gandhi's most faithful followers), Madan Mohan Malaviya (president of the Indian National Congress), Kavalam Madhava Panikkar (Diplomat & Statesman), Sarojini Naidu (political activist and poet) and others unidentified. 23cm x 18cm Notable for being a left-handed autograph - Gandhi wrote with his left hand for a brief period in 1931 due to pain in his right thumb. 2) Four undocumented photographs taken by Starmer-Smith of Gandhi aboard SS Rajputana, comprising: a photograph of Gandhi speaking with one of his party on deck (12cm x 7cm), a photograph of Gandhi leaning against a guard rail (8cm x 6cm), a photograph showing Gandhi and his party - a variation of the larger photograph noted above (7cm x 9cm), and a photograph of Gandhi coming aboard - his face partially obscured by a railing (9cm x 7cm). All supplied with their original period negatives and are sold with full copyright (buyer to arrange paperwork) 3) two pages of handwritten account by Doris Starmer-Smith recounting her being onboard with Gandhi and his party. Written on P&OSN Co headed stationery. Extracts include; 'Mahatma Gandhi crossed the barrier to the second saloon passenger's deck, and the crowd there surged thick and strong. Boat stewards made a protective wall around him with outstretched arms and everybody was laughing joyously,' 'Mahatma Gandhi stood by the boat rail, quietly contemplating the crowds below. His body, thin but wiry, was naked except for a rough white loin cloth and a strip of the same homespun cloth over his shoulders. His head was closely shaven except for one small tuft of long, straggling grey hair. His nose, ears and chin, all protruding markedly, his toothless upper jaw and gapped lower teeth, his old steel rimmed spectacles cutting into his flesh behind the ears... combined to give him a most unprepossessing appearance, yet there was a quiet dignity about him - a serenity which could not be quantified' 4) a collection of other items related to Starmer-Smith and the journey on the SS Rajputana - two SS Rajputana luggage tags named to Starmer-Smith, a newspaper cutting dated February 13th 1948 with published extracts of Starmer-Smith's letter which were submitted after Gandhi's assassination just two weeks prior, the front page of the Evening Despatch newspaper with headline 'Gandhi Shot Dead' - retained by Starmer-Smith at the time, seven photographs taken on board SS Rajputana (not containing Gandhi), a ship's menu dated September 9th 1931 signed to the rear likely by fellow passengers, and sundry other ephemera from the trip. A unique and historically important collection. Gandhi's trip aboard SS Rajputana was well documented in the press at the time, but this unique collection gives a glimpse into the events from a different perspective. Doris Starmer-Smith was a missionary on her way back to England from a four year teaching trip in Hong Kong. She was the Great Aunt of the vendor, and the collection was inherited by descent.