Royal Commonwealth Society : The Knuckles (Colombo, 1868)

Skeen, William Louis Henry, d 1903, photographer

Royal Commonwealth Society

<p style='text-align: justify;'>A volume of poems by William Skeen, Government Printer of Ceylon, illustrated by albumen prints produced by his son, W.L.H. Skeen. The prints measure approximately 145 x 95 mm and are pasted in beside the text.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'> An advertisement by Skeen and Co. at the end of the book states the different editions of the work available: at 10 shillings with two photographs, at £1 with seven photographs, and 6 shillings without illustrations. The poem of the title is a history of the Knuckles planting district in five cantos of verse, with occasional pieces and 'The Christmas Tree' by R. Skeen at the end of the volume.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>W.L.H. Skeen was the son of William Skeen, the first official Ceylon Government Printer from 1849 to 1872. He founded W.L.H. Skeen and Co., a commercial photographic company active in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).</p>