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Homedevmaster2024-04-27T10:47:08+05:30
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Mount Road & Electric Tram British Era Madras, 1938 Photo
Mount Road & Electric Tram British Era Madras, 1938 Photo
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Mount Road & Electric Tram British Era Madras, 1938 Photo

Mount Road & Electric Tram British Era Madras, 1938 Photo

Mount Road & Electric Tram British Era Madras, 1938 Photo A 1938 photo of the Mount Road and electric tram ....read more

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devmaster2024-02-09T08:46:30+05:30
Iron Pier Harbour British Era Madras, 1870 Photo
Iron Pier Harbour British Era Madras, 1870 Photo
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Iron Pier Harbour British Era Madras, 1870 Photo

Iron Pier Harbour British Era Madras, 1870 Photo

Old India Photos > Other India Photos
Old India Photos

Iron Pier Harbour British Era Madras, 1870 Photo An 1870 photo of the iron pier harbour in then-British era Madras ....read more

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devmaster2024-02-11T11:12:53+05:30
Cooum River In 19th Century Madaras, 1880 Photo
Cooum River In 19th Century Madaras, 1880 Photo
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Cooum River In 19th Century Madaras, 1880 Photo

Cooum River In 19th Century Madaras, 1880 Photo

Old India Photos > Madras Photos
Old India Photos

Cooum River In 19th Century Madaras, 1880 Photo An 1880 photo of the Cooum River in 19th-century Madras (Chennai). Once ....read more

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devmaster2025-02-06T22:41:39+05:30
Mowbray's Road In Adyar Madras, 1902 Photo
Mowbray’s Road In Adyar Madras, 1902 Photo
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Mowbray’s Road In Adyar Madras, 1902 Photo

Mowbray’s Road In Adyar Madras, 1902 Photo

Mowbray's Road In Adyar Madras, 1902 Photo A 1902 photo of Mowbray's Road in Adyar during British Era Madras (Chennai). ....read more

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devmaster2025-06-20T15:14:17+05:30
The Massive Chepauk Palace Madras, 1880 Photo
The Imposing Chepauk Palace In British Era Madras, 1880 Photo
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The Imposing Chepauk Palace In British Era Madras, 1880 Photo

The Imposing Chepauk Palace In British Era Madras, 1880 Photo

The Imposing Chepauk Palace In British Era Madras, 1880 Photo An 1880 photo of the imposing Chepauk Palace in British ....read more

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devmaster2025-03-28T06:09:25+05:30
Viceroy's Party After The Inauguration of New Delhi, 1931 Photo
Viceroy’s Party After The Inauguration of New Delhi, 1931 Photo
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Viceroy’s Party After The Inauguration of New Delhi, 1931 Photo

Viceroy’s Party After The Inauguration of New Delhi, 1931 Photo

Viceroy's Party After The Inauguration of New Delhi, 1931 Photo A 1931 photo of the viceroy's party is progess after ....read more

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rashtrapati bhavan & parliament delhi
Rashtrapati Bhavan & Parliament House New Delhi, 1933 Photo
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Rashtrapati Bhavan & Parliament House New Delhi, 1933 Photo

Rashtrapati Bhavan & Parliament House New Delhi, 1933 Photo

Rashtrapati Bhavan & Parliament House New Delhi, 1933 Photo  A 1933 photo of the Rashtrapati Bhavan and the former Parliament ....read more

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devmaster2025-03-28T06:09:53+05:30
Inauguration Of Parliament Building Delhi - Old Photo 1927
Inauguration of The Parliament House In New Delhi, 1927 Photo
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Inauguration of The Parliament House In New Delhi, 1927 Photo

Inauguration of The Parliament House In New Delhi, 1927 Photo

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devmaster2025-02-02T06:01:30+05:30
Antique Photo Tiruchirappalli Rock-Fort 1870
Tiruchirappalli Rock-Fort A 19th Century View, 1870 Photo
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Tiruchirappalli Rock-Fort A 19th Century View, 1870 Photo

Tiruchirappalli Rock-Fort A 19th Century View, 1870 Photo

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devmaster2024-02-11T15:54:52+05:30
Interior of The Tanjore Palace, 1890 Photo
Interior of The Tanjore Palace, 1890 Photo
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Interior of The Tanjore Palace, 1890 Photo

Interior of The Tanjore Palace, 1890 Photo

Interior of The Tanjore Palace, 1890 Photo An 1890 photo of the interior of the Tanjore Palace, now known as ....read more

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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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