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European Lady Viewing Bombay From Malabar Hill, 1900 Photo1
European Lady Viewing Bombay From Malabar Hill, 1900 Photo
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European Lady Viewing Bombay From Malabar Hill, 1900 Photo

European Lady Viewing Bombay From Malabar Hill, 1900 Photo

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 1752 Antique Map of Bombay And Its Environs By Jacques-Nicolas Bellin1
 1752 Antique Map of Bombay And Its Environs By Jacques Bellin
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 1752 Antique Map of Bombay And Its Environs By Jacques Bellin

 1752 Antique Map of Bombay And Its Environs By Jacques Bellin

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Bronson's West End Hotel Colonial Bangalore, 1900 Postcard1
Bronson’s West End Hotel Colonial Bangalore, 1900 Postcard
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Bronson’s West End Hotel Colonial Bangalore, 1900 Postcard

Bronson’s West End Hotel Colonial Bangalore, 1900 Postcard

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Aden Was Under Bombay Presidency In British Era, 1870 Photo
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Aden Was Under Bombay Presidency In British Era, 1870 Photo

Aden Was Under Bombay Presidency In British Era, 1870 Photo

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Delhi’s Qutub Minar In Ruins In The 19th Century, 1810 Print

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Description of Bombay By An American Newspaper In 1818a
Description of Bombay By An American Newspaper In 1818
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Vintage Postcards From The Ravi Varma Press Karla, 10 PCs 1904a
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Vintage Postcards From The Ravi Varma Press Karla, 10 PCs 1904

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Ulsoor Lake In The Late 19th Century, Bangalore, 1900 Postcard1
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Ulsoor Lake In Late 19th Century, Bangalore, 1890 Postcard

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Beautiful Chowringhee Road Colonial Era Calcutta, 1930 Photo

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The First Oleograph Published From Raja Ravi Varma Press 1894

Past-India.com

PRESERVING INDIA’S AMAZING PAST

This site illustrates an amazing past India through the collection of antique and vintage Raja Ravi Varma oleographs, art, old photos, old postcards, old prints, maps, plans, books, etc, relevant mainly to India.

The collection gives an insight of what India looked like in the past and how it evolved since then. Few may know that there were trams in Bombay (Mumbai), Madras (Chennai), Delhi, and Calcutta (Kolkata).

The tramway first began with horse-drawn trams, switching later to electric trams during the early 1900s. It was in Madras that the electric tram was first introduced in India. The collection contains a rare 1880 Calcutta Tramways proposed route map of the city’s horse-drawn tram.

That the Taj Mahal was camouflaged to protect it against potential German and Japanese air attacks during World War II. The collection also includes a glass slide of the first steam paddle ship, “Enterprise,” that sailed from England to India in 1825.

An 1880 photo shows an almost barren landscape of Haji Ali and a semi forested Worli in the background. There are many more photos of Bombay, Madras, Calcutta, bangalore, etc. An article in a 1791 London newspaper reports on the 3rd Anglo-Mysore War. Another newspaper from 1792 reports the defeat of Tipu Sultan. There are photos and prints of India’s aviation from 1913 to the 1940s. Photo of the first train travel from Bombay to Thana.

However, the jewel in the crown of this collection is the rare Raja Ravi Varma’s “Birth of Shakuntala” oleograph or chromolithograph of 1894. This was the first oleograph that was published from the newly opened Raja Ravi Varma Fine Arts Lithograph Press (FAL press) in 1894. It also has the distinction of being the first oleograph that was produced in India.

As the saying goes- “seeing is believing” and hope you enjoy going through this collection. Please write to us at: info@past-india.com

Popular & Rare

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Past India

You can scroll down from the home page or go to the main categories shown on the top yellow band with drop downs of sub-categories (the "Art & Raja Ravi Varma Collection" does not have sub-category). Check out each category and subcategory for an interesting collection of art, photos, postcards, prints, maps, books, etc. These depict varied subjects of an amazing Past India that we may have forgotten; from people on the streets to spectacular events like Delhi durbars to farewell ceremony at Apollo Bunder, from Taj Mahal to Gateway of India, from residential to commercial areas, from exterior to interior of homes, glimpses of British and Indians daily life, India's early aviation from 1911 to 1940s, and so on. This site also includes a photo of "Charlie Chaplin" with his autographed sign on the back. Check also Raja Ravi Varma’s portrait photo, oleographs. Ravi Varma's wife's photo, etc. Additionally there are photos, postcards, prints on the Indian railway, vintage motor cars, old maps of India, old books, etc. Just like the saying goes "A picture is worth a thousand words" likewise the case with this site. The scans displayed are only from our personal collection and not from any other source unless otherwise specified.

Contact us:

info@past-india.com
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