A Glimpse of Empire
Exhibition of unique vintage photographs to co-incide with the Centenary of the Delhi Durbar
12th - 17th December  2011

A Glimpse of Empire is the story of Lilah Wingfield’s journey to India in 1911. The twenty-three year old Anglo-Irish beauty arrived in Delhi for the Royal Durbar, where the new King, George V, was to be proclaimed Emperor to reinforce the loyalty to the Crown of India’s ruling Princes. For a fortnight of relentless ceremony, unheard of extravagance and imposing military spectacle, in the setting of a vast Tented City complete with its own farms, railway, telegraph and post offices, she meets many of the remarkable colonial characters of the day, including some of the foremost Indian Princes, vying to stage the most lavish display to prove their devotion to the Raj.  Lilah’s diaries bring to life the contrast between her own aristocratic upbringing in Ireland, that she felt was unbearably claustrophobic, and the freedom of her experience over a few months in India that transformed her entire outlook.

As the tents are dismantled, Lilah travels through India – to the dangerous Khyber Pass on the Afghan border, to Rajasthan, to the gory sites of the Mutiny and to stay with India’s only female Ruler, the Begum of Bhopal. Her diary shows her deepening awareness of the ambivalence of certain maharajahs towards British Rule even while she is being entertained royally in their lakeside palaces. While some of her companions were mischievously called ‘the fishing fleet’, Lilah’s subtlety, style and aesthetic understanding distanced her from the ‘debs’ who were simply setting out to find a suitable husband.  Lilah’s Irish upbringing gives her an instinctive feeling for the mixture of her hosts’ longing for independence alongside affection for the mother country.

The exhibition accompanies a new book, copiously illustrated by Lilah’s own photographs. Written by Jessica Douglas-Home, Lilah Wingfield’s granddaughter, it draws on unique archive material to illuminate this fascinating chapter of the Anglo-Indian relationship and attempts to celebrate the celebration, whilst being ever mindful of some of its more problematic aspects.

Limited edition reprints from photographs in their original album will be available for sale during the exhibition, priced between £40 and £100.

Glimpse of Empire 608pp plus 32pp illustrations Hardback 234x156mm Isbn 978-0-85955- 319-3. Published on 1 November 2011 by Michael Russell (Publishing) Ltd., Wilby Hall, Wilby, Norwich NR16 2JP, £17.95 UK post free with this form (for overseas postal rates visit www.glimpseofempire.com).

Information about the author:

Jessica Douglas-Home is the author of two previous books:
Violet: The life and loves of Violet Gordon Woodhouse
(1996) ‘A harpsichordist of genius . . . as Jessica Douglas-Home makes clear in this enthralling biography, the implications of Violet’s magnetic personality went far beyond a dodgy domestic life or a salon that gave Bloomsbury a run for its money.’ Books of the Year, The Sunday Times, November 1996;
Once upon another Time (2000) ‘The fascinating account of her six year odyssey before the collapse of the Soviet Empire – to Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary and Romania, helping dissidents . . . combines the excitement of an espionage novel with the chilling tales of the daily hardships, courage and fortitude of the dissidents.’ The Independent

She is Director of the The Mihai Eminescu Trust, which has become Romania’s foremost cultural charity.

Born Jessica Gwynne, her first husband, Charles Douglas-Home, whom she married in 1966, died while editor of The Times in 1985. In 1993 she married Rodney Leach, who was made a life peer as Lord Leach of Fairford in 2006.