A handsome first edition of Massam's classic study of Kenya's elusive cliff-dwelling peoples, finely bound by Riviere and illustrated with sixteen photographic plates and a large folding map.

Bibliographic Details

Author: MASSAM (J. A., British colonial administrator and ethnologist).
Title: The Cliff Dwellers of Kenya: An Account of a People Driven by Raids, Famine and Drought to Take Refuge on the Inaccessible Ledges of Precipitous Mountains.
Place of Publication: London.
Publisher: Seeley, Service & Co.
Date / Edition: 1927. First edition.
Pagination: [4], 268 pp.
Illustrations: Frontispiece, 15 further full-page photographic plates (16 plates in total), and a large folding map.
Binding: Contemporary full scarlet calf by Riviere, spine richly gilt in compartments, decorative gilt borders to boards, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers, gilt armorial crest of Orleton School (Scarborough) to upper cover. Binder's stamp to rear flyleaf.
Provenance: Armorial bookplate of Orleton School. Not an ex-library copy.
Size: 8vo (21.5 × 14 cm).

Condition

Very Good overall. An attractive Riviere binding, bright and firm, with only minute rubbing to the spine ends and a couple of faint surface marks. Internally clean, with light uniform age-toning and scattered foxing largely confined to the endpapers, title page and fore-edge. The photographic plates are crisp and well preserved. The large folding map has a few mis-fold creases, a neatly archive-repaired 12 cm closed tear to the verso, and a small corner chip. Overall, a considerably nicer copy than is usually encountered.

Please ask if you require a more detailed condition report, or view the gallery images closely.

Description

A handsome first edition of one of the most important early twentieth-century ethnographical studies of northern Kenya, documenting the remarkable cliff-dwelling communities who retreated onto inaccessible mountain ledges to escape generations of warfare, famine and cattle raiding.

Drawing upon extensive first-hand observation, J. A. Massam records the lives of the Tendweni people with unusual sympathy and attention to detail. He describes their settlements, houses, customs, agriculture, religious beliefs, social organisation and material culture, preserving an invaluable account of a way of life that had already begun to disappear under the pressures of colonial administration and changing political conditions.

The dramatic setting forms one of the book's greatest attractions. Forced by repeated raids, prolonged drought and the insecurity of inter-tribal conflict, these communities established fortified homes upon narrow mountain ledges and sheer escarpments that were almost impossible for enemies to reach. Massam explains both the historical circumstances that produced these remarkable refuges and the ingenious methods by which their inhabitants survived in such inhospitable surroundings.

The volume is illustrated throughout with sixteen striking photographic plates, providing rare contemporary images of the people, their settlements and the Kenyan landscape. These are complemented by a large folding map, allowing the reader to follow the geography of the remote districts described in the text.

Published during the formative years of British colonial rule in East Africa, the book reflects the growing anthropological interest in documenting indigenous societies before rapid social change altered traditional customs. Today it remains an important primary source for historians, anthropologists and collectors of African exploration.

This copy is especially appealing for its fine Riviere binding. Bound in scarlet calf with gilt decoration, top edge gilt and the armorial crest of Orleton School to the upper cover, it was clearly prepared as a prestigious school prize. Riviere was among London's finest binders during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and their work is highly regarded for both craftsmanship and durability.

The armorial bookplate of Orleton School provides an attractive educational provenance without the intrusive markings associated with institutional library copies. Together with the handsome binding, it gives the volume exceptional shelf appeal.

First editions of Massam's work are increasingly sought after, particularly in superior bindings. Combining ethnography, African exploration, fine bookbinding and excellent photographic illustration, this is an especially desirable example of one of the classic early studies of Kenya's indigenous peoples.

Notes

A beautifully bound first edition of Massam's important ethnographical study, complete with sixteen photographic plates, folding map and distinguished Riviere prize binding.

Particularly desirable for collectors of African exploration, East African history, anthropology, Kenya, colonial travel, ethnography, fine bindings and illustrated books.