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Homedevmaster2024-04-27T10:47:08+05:30
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Red Hills Lake Supplying Water To Madras, 1907 Postcard
Red Hills Lake Supplying Water To Madras, 1907 Postcard
Gallery

Red Hills Lake Supplying Water To Madras, 1907 Postcard

Red Hills Lake Supplying Water To Madras, 1907 Postcard

Madras Postcards, Old India Postcards

Red Hills Lake Supplying Water To Madras, 1907 Postcard A 1907 postcard of the Red Hills Lake or Puzhal Lake ....read more

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Higginbothams Bookstore Mount Road Madras, 1944 Postcard
Higginbothams Bookstore Mount Road Madras, 1944 Postcard
Gallery

Higginbothams Bookstore Mount Road Madras, 1944 Postcard

Higginbothams Bookstore Mount Road Madras, 1944 Postcard

Madras Postcards, Old India Postcards

Higginbothams Bookstore Mount Road Madras, 1944 Postcard A 1944 postcard of Higginbothams Bookstore on Mount Road in Madras (Chennai). The ....read more

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devmaster2023-12-17T06:52:05+05:30
coonoor town
Coonoor Town In The Nilgiris Near Ooty – 2 Postcards 1910
Gallery

Coonoor Town In The Nilgiris Near Ooty – 2 Postcards 1910

Coonoor Town In The Nilgiris Near Ooty – 2 Postcards 1910

Madras Postcards, Old India Postcards

Coonoor Town In The Nilgiris Near Ooty - 2 Postcards 1910 Two old 1910 postcards of Coonoor in the Nilgiris near Ooty. ....read more

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The British Era High Court Of Madras, 1900 Postcard
The British Era High Court Of Madras, 1900 Postcard
Gallery

The British Era High Court Of Madras, 1900 Postcard

The British Era High Court Of Madras, 1900 Postcard

Madras Postcards, Old India Postcards

The British Era High Court Of Madras, 1900 Postcard A 1900 postcard of the British Era High Court of Madras, ....read more

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Madras From The Lighthouse - Old Postcard 1903
Madras From The Lighthouse – Old Postcard 1903
Gallery

Madras From The Lighthouse – Old Postcard 1903

Madras From The Lighthouse – Old Postcard 1903

Madras Postcards, Old India Postcards

Madras From The Lighthouse - Old Postcard 1903 This is an old 1903 postcard of the lighthouse in Madras, now ....read more

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Vintage Postcard Madras St George's Cathedral
St George’s Cathedral Madras – Old Postcard 1915
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St George’s Cathedral Madras – Old Postcard 1915

St George’s Cathedral Madras – Old Postcard 1915

Madras Postcards, Old India Postcards

Click on the photo for better view St George's Cathedral Madras - Old Postcard 1915 This is an old 1915 ....read more

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19th-century vintage photograph of the wooden octagonal Cooperage Bandstand structure in Bombay during the British Raj era.
Cooperage Bandstand, Bombay’s Music Culture, 2 Postcards 1900
Gallery

Cooperage Bandstand, Bombay’s Music Culture, 2 Postcards 1900

Cooperage Bandstand, Bombay’s Music Culture, 2 Postcards 1900

Bombay Postcards, Old India Postcards

Cooperage Bandstand, Heart of British Era Bombay’s Music Culture, 2 Postcards 1900 Two postcards of British-era Bombay's Cooperage Bandstand. One ....read more

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Britishers On Backwaters of Cochin Tour, 1895 Photo
Britishers On Backwaters of Cochin Tour, 1895 Photo
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Britishers On Backwaters of Cochin Tour, 1895 Photo

Britishers On Backwaters of Cochin Tour, 1895 Photo

Old India Photos, Other India Photos

Britishers On Tour of Cochin Backwaters - Old Photo 1895 An old 1895 photo of some Britishers on a tour ....read more

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River Of Logs In British Era Calicut - Old Photo 1898
River Of Logs In British Era Calicut – Old Photo 1898
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River Of Logs In British Era Calicut – Old Photo 1898

River Of Logs In British Era Calicut – Old Photo 1898

Old India Photos, Other India Photos

River Of Logs In British Era Calicut - Old Photo 1898 This is an old 1898 photograph of the river ....read more

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British Royal Field Artillery Belgaum, 1870 Photo
British Royal Field Artillery Belgaum, 1870 Photo
Gallery

British Royal Field Artillery Belgaum, 1870 Photo

British Royal Field Artillery Belgaum, 1870 Photo

Bangalore Photos, Old India Photos

British Royal Field Artillery Belgaum, 1870 Photo An 1870 photo of a British military Royal Field Artillery at Belgaum (Belgavi). ....read more

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Raja Ravi Varma’s “Birth of Shakuntala” Oleograph 1894

past-india.com

This site illustrates a past India through a collection of antique and vintage mediums of Raja Ravi Varma oleographs, old India photos, old postcards, old paper prints, and so on.

Although the collection may or may not be too varied, but generally projects a glimpse to what India looked like in the past. And how it has evolved since then. Few would realize that once there were Trams in Bombay, Madras, Delhi…

That, Madras operated the first electric Tram in India from 1895 up to its closure in 1953. With Calcutta and Bombay starting off with Horse-Drawn Trams, later electrifying them by the early 1900s.

That, in World War II, they camouflaged the Taj Mahal with bamboo scaffoldings. So as to project it as a construction site that perhaps would fool any air attacks from the Germans and Japanese might, although this never happened. All in all, the jewel in this collection is the rare Raja Ravi Varma’s “Birth of Shakuntala” oleograph or chromolithograph of 1894. This was the first oleograph to come out from the then newly opened Raja Ravi Varma Fine Arts Lithograph Press(or FAL press) in 1894.

The many legacies of the British Raj are not missed out in this collection. Many of the buildings and streets have gone through several makeovers to the extent of being unrecognizable today or have completely disappeared from the scene. But the memories are kept alive hopefully to some extent by this collection.

As they say- “seeing is believing.” Hope you enjoy this collection. Please write to us at- info@past-india.com

Popular & Rare

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Past India

You can see the main categories on the top of the page, and except for the “Raja Ravi Varma Oleograph & Other Art” category all the other main categories have drop-down to sub-categories. You can then select the subject of your interest or you can check through the search box and if available it will display the results. The photos, prints & picture postcards depict a varied subjects of a Past India we may have forgotten- from people on the streets to people at grand events like Delhi durbar, from Taj Mahal to Gateway of India, from residential areas to commercial areas, from home exterior to interior of homes and so on. This site also includes a photo of "Charlie Chaplin" with his autograph signed on the back. There are also old maps, books, Raja Ravi Varma’s oelographs etc. “A picture is worth a thousand words” is an old adage, I’m sure this blog should interest you likewise. All the items displayed are from my personal collection unless otherwise specified.

Contact us:

info@past-india.com
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