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Homedevmaster2024-04-27T10:47:08+05:30
devmaster2024-03-22T11:27:12+05:30
19th century calcutta
Panoramic View of 19th Century Calcutta, 1880 Photo
Gallery

Panoramic View of 19th Century Calcutta, 1880 Photo

Panoramic View of 19th Century Calcutta, 1880 Photo

Calcutta Photos, Old India Photos

Panoramic View of 19th Century Calcutta, 1880 Photo   An old 1880 photo with a panoramic view of a beautiful ....read more

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devmaster2023-12-23T16:54:49+05:30
war memorial bombay
Port Trust War Memorial Ballard Estate Bombay – 2 PCs 1935
Gallery

Port Trust War Memorial Ballard Estate Bombay – 2 PCs 1935

Port Trust War Memorial Ballard Estate Bombay – 2 PCs 1935

Bombay Postcards, Old India Postcards

Port Trust War Memorial Ballard Estate Bombay - 2 PCs 1935 pastindia.com Two 1935 postcards of the Port ....read more

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devmaster2023-12-23T16:10:53+05:30
parsi festival
Parsi Festival At The Back Bay Beach, 1905 Postcard
Gallery

Parsi Festival At The Back Bay Beach, 1905 Postcard

Parsi Festival At The Back Bay Beach, 1905 Postcard

Bombay Postcards, Old India Postcards

Parsi Festival At The Back Bay Beach, 1905 Postcard A 1905 postcard of Parsis celebrating a festival day at the ....read more

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devmaster2023-12-23T06:29:25+05:30
cotton green bombay
Colaba Cotton Green Bombay – 3 Postcards 1900
Gallery

Colaba Cotton Green Bombay – 3 Postcards 1900

Colaba Cotton Green Bombay – 3 Postcards 1900

Bombay Postcards, Old India Postcards

Colaba Cotton Green Bombay - 3 Postcards 1900 Three old postcards that show the Cotton Green at Colaba in Bombay ....read more

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devmaster2023-12-22T23:59:30+05:30
marine drive bombay
Early View of Marine Drive From Malabar Hill Bombay, 1880 Photo
Gallery

Early View of Marine Drive From Malabar Hill Bombay, 1880 Photo

Early View of Marine Drive From Malabar Hill Bombay, 1880 Photo

Bombay Photos, Old India Photos

Early View of Marine Drive From Malabar Hill Bombay, 1880 Photo An 1880 photo of an early view of Marine ....read more

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devmaster2023-12-22T15:32:19+05:30
taj mahal hotel
The Imposing Taj Mahal Hotel Bombay, 1905 Photo
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The Imposing Taj Mahal Hotel Bombay, 1905 Photo

The Imposing Taj Mahal Hotel Bombay, 1905 Photo

Bombay Photos, Old India Photos

The Imposing Taj Mahal Hotel Bombay, 1905 Photo A 1905 photo of the imposing Taj Mahal Hotel in Bombay (Mumbai). ....read more

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devmaster2023-12-22T11:28:49+05:30
rajabai clock tower bombay
Rajabai Clock Tower & Garden Bombay, 1890 Photo
Gallery

Rajabai Clock Tower & Garden Bombay, 1890 Photo

Rajabai Clock Tower & Garden Bombay, 1890 Photo

Bombay Photos, Old India Photos

Rajabai Clock Tower & Garden Bombay, 1890 Photo An 1890 photocrom color photo of the iconic Rajabai Clock Tower and ....read more

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devmaster2024-01-16T06:39:09+05:30
first line beach madras
First Line Beach British Era Madras, 1880 Photo
Gallery

First Line Beach British Era Madras, 1880 Photo

First Line Beach British Era Madras, 1880 Photo

Madras Photos, Old India Photos

First Line Beach British Era Madras, 1880 Photo An 1880 photo of the First Line Beach street of British-era Madras ....read more

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devmaster2023-12-21T21:08:24+05:30
fort st george
Moat & Defensive Walls of Fort St George Madras, 1900 Photo
Gallery

Moat & Defensive Walls of Fort St George Madras, 1900 Photo

Moat & Defensive Walls of Fort St George Madras, 1900 Photo

Madras Photos, Old India Photos

Moat & Defensive Walls of Fort St George Madras, 1900 Photo A 1900 glass slide photo of the moat and ....read more

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devmaster2023-12-21T12:56:15+05:30
brv theater bangalore
BRV Cinema Theater British Era Bangalore, 1934 Postcard
Gallery

BRV Cinema Theater British Era Bangalore, 1934 Postcard

BRV Cinema Theater British Era Bangalore, 1934 Postcard

Bangalore Postcards, Old India Postcards

BRV Cinema Theater British Era Bangalore, 1934 Postcard A 1934 photo postcard of BRV cinema theater in the time of ....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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