Skip to content
Past-India Logo Past-India Logo Past-India Logo
About Past-India
  • Home
  • Art & Raja Ravi Varma Collection
  • Old India Photos
    • Bombay Photos
    • Delhi Photos
    • Madras Photos
    • Calcutta Photos
    • Bangalore Photos
    • Other India photos
    • Miscellaneous Photos
  • Old India Postcards
    • Bombay Postcards
    • Delhi Postcards
    • Madras Postcards
    • Calcutta Postcards
    • Banglore Postcards
    • Cochin / Kerala Postcards
    • Other India Postcards
    • Miscellaneous Postcards
  • Old India Prints
    • Bombay Prints
    • Other India Prints
    • Miscellaneous Prints
  • More
    • India Railway
    • Vintage Motoring
    • Maps & Plans
    • Books & Publications
Homedevmaster2024-04-27T10:47:08+05:30
devmaster2024-04-17T04:13:27+05:30
municipal corporation building and trams
Municipal Corporation Building & Trams Bombay, 1890 Photo
Gallery

Municipal Corporation Building & Trams Bombay, 1890 Photo

Municipal Corporation Building & Trams Bombay, 1890 Photo

Bombay Photos, Old India Photos

Municipal Corporation Building & Trams Bombay, 1890 Photo Old 1890 photo that shows the spectacular Municipal Corporation Building and horse ....read more

Learn More
devmaster2024-01-16T06:35:28+05:30
bombay gymkhana
Smoking Concert At British Era Bombay Gymkhana In 1908, PC
Gallery

Smoking Concert At British Era Bombay Gymkhana In 1908, PC

Smoking Concert At British Era Bombay Gymkhana In 1908, PC

Bombay Postcards, Old India Postcards

Smoking Concert At British Era Bombay Gymkhana In 1908, PC An unusual 1908 postcard inviting for a smoking concert at ....read more

Learn More
devmaster2024-01-06T08:45:44+05:30
british king charles who woned bombay
The British King Who Owned Bombay, 1910 Postcard
Gallery

The British King Who Owned Bombay, 1910 Postcard

The British King Who Owned Bombay, 1910 Postcard

Bombay Postcards, Old India Postcards

The British King Who Owned Bombay, 1910 Postcard A 1910 postcard of the British King Charles II who owned Bombay ....read more

Learn More
devmaster2024-01-10T18:16:13+05:30
Marshall Steam Road Roller Of The Bombay Municipality, 1914 PC
Marshall Steam Road Roller Of The Bombay Municipality, 1914 PC
Gallery

Marshall Steam Road Roller Of The Bombay Municipality, 1914 PC

Marshall Steam Road Roller Of The Bombay Municipality, 1914 PC

More, Vintage Motoring

Marshall Steam Road Roller Of The Bombay Municipality, 1914 PC Old 1914 postcard displaying the Marshall Steam Road Roller owned ....read more

Learn More
devmaster2024-01-04T22:55:41+05:30
calcutta port ships on river hooghly
Port of Calcutta Ships On The Hooghly River, 1880 Photo
Gallery

Port of Calcutta Ships On The Hooghly River, 1880 Photo

Port of Calcutta Ships On The Hooghly River, 1880 Photo

Calcutta Photos, Old India Photos

Port of Calcutta Ships On The Hooghly River, 1880 Photo A row of sailing ships can be seen on the ....read more

Learn More
devmaster2024-01-04T12:40:13+05:30
taj mahal hotel on bombay's coastline
Taj Mahal Hotel On The Coastline of Bombay, 1907 Photo
Gallery

Taj Mahal Hotel On The Coastline of Bombay, 1907 Photo

Taj Mahal Hotel On The Coastline of Bombay, 1907 Photo

Taj Mahal Hotel On The Coastline of Bombay, 1907 Photo A view of the Taj Mahal Hotel on the coastline ....read more

Learn More
devmaster2024-01-04T05:52:06+05:30
narayan pillai street bangalore
Narayan Pillai Street In British Era Bangalore, 1920 Postcard
Gallery

Narayan Pillai Street In British Era Bangalore, 1920 Postcard

Narayan Pillai Street In British Era Bangalore, 1920 Postcard

Bangalore Postcards, Old India Postcards

Narayan Pillai Street In British Era Bangalore, 1920 Postcard An old 1920 photo postcard of Narain Pillai Street (now Narayan ....read more

Learn More
devmaster2026-06-25T23:42:40+05:30
pondicherry siege french page 1
The Siege of Pondicherry By The British, 1760 Newspaper
Gallery

The Siege of Pondicherry By The British, 1760 Newspaper

The Siege of Pondicherry By The British, 1760 Newspaper

Old India Prints, Other India Prints

The Siege of Pondicherry By The British, 1760 Newspaper This rare Edinburgh-based 1760 newspaper reports on the siege of Pondicherry ....read more

Learn More
devmaster2024-03-22T11:22:55+05:30
view of apollo bunder
View of Gateway of India’s Apollo Bunder Bombay, 1890 Photo
Gallery

View of Gateway of India’s Apollo Bunder Bombay, 1890 Photo

View of Gateway of India’s Apollo Bunder Bombay, 1890 Photo

Bombay Photos, Old India Photos

View of Gateway of India's Apollo Bunder Bombay, 1890 Photo   A view of the Gateway of India's Apollo Bunder ....read more

Learn More
devmaster2024-01-02T09:56:19+05:30
horse tram flora fountain bombay
Horse Drawn Tram at Hornby Road Bombay, 1903 Postcard
Gallery

Horse Drawn Tram at Hornby Road Bombay, 1903 Postcard

Horse Drawn Tram at Hornby Road Bombay, 1903 Postcard

Bombay Postcards, Old India Postcards

Horse Drawn Tram at Hornby Road Bombay, 1903 Postcard A beautiful 1903 postcard of Bombay's Horse Drawn Tram at Hornby ....read more

Learn More
Previous12···1011121314···123124Next

blank

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

php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php
php

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
DMCA.com Protection Status
© Copyright | Past-India by Nubes Technologies | All Rights Reserved
Facebook