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Homedevmaster2024-04-27T10:47:08+05:30
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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devmaster2023-12-29T07:03:59+05:30
hotel majestic colaba
Hotel Majestic & Waterloo Mansion Colaba Bombay – 7 PCs, 1909
Gallery

Hotel Majestic & Waterloo Mansion Colaba Bombay – 7 PCs, 1909

Hotel Majestic & Waterloo Mansion Colaba Bombay – 7 PCs, 1909

Bombay Postcards, Old India Postcards

Hotel Majestic & Waterloo Mansion Colaba Bombay - 7 PCs 1900 Seven postcard views of Hotel Majestic and Waterloo Mansion ....read more

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devmaster2023-12-20T18:50:01+05:30
ooty toy train steam locomotive plan
Ooty Toy Train Steam Locomotive’s Plan, 1925 Print
Gallery

Ooty Toy Train Steam Locomotive’s Plan, 1925 Print

Ooty Toy Train Steam Locomotive’s Plan, 1925 Print

India Railway, More

Ooty Toy Train Steam Locomotive's Plan, 1925 Print An old 1925 print of the Ooty Toy Train Steam Locomotive's plan. ....read more

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devmaster2023-12-20T08:38:51+05:30
back bay and malabar hill
View of Back Bay & Malabar Hill Bombay, 1880 Photo
Gallery

View of Back Bay & Malabar Hill Bombay, 1880 Photo

View of Back Bay & Malabar Hill Bombay, 1880 Photo

View of Back Bay & Malabar Hill Bombay, 1880 Photo This 1880 photo shows the view of Back Bay & ....read more

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devmaster2026-06-22T20:58:05+05:30
1905 postcards showing British-era Bombay exhibitions, amusement parks, Oval Maidan fairgrounds, Churchgate attractions, and colonial public gatherings.
Bombay’s British-Era Exhibitions & Amusement Parks, 8 PCs 1905
Gallery

Bombay’s British-Era Exhibitions & Amusement Parks, 8 PCs 1905

Bombay’s British-Era Exhibitions & Amusement Parks, 8 PCs 1905

Bombay Postcards, Old India Postcards

Bombay’s British-Era Exhibitions & Amusement Parks, 8 Postcards 1905 Eight fascinating postcards from 1905 offer a rare visual record of ....read more

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devmaster2024-01-14T12:29:54+05:30
river hooghly and gpo calcutta
View of Calcutta’s River Hooghly, GPO & High Court, 1880 Photo
Gallery

View of Calcutta’s River Hooghly, GPO & High Court, 1880 Photo

View of Calcutta’s River Hooghly, GPO & High Court, 1880 Photo

Calcutta Photos, Old India Photos

View of Calcutta's River Hooghly, GPO & High Court, 1880 Photo An old 1880 photo of Calcutta's River Hooghly with ....read more

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devmaster2023-12-19T12:52:42+05:30
apollo bunder & harbour bombay
Apollo Bunder & Harbour British Era Bombay, 1900 Photo
Gallery

Apollo Bunder & Harbour British Era Bombay, 1900 Photo

Apollo Bunder & Harbour British Era Bombay, 1900 Photo

Bombay Photos, Old India Photos

Apollo Bunder & Harbour British Era Bombay, 1900 Photo An 1900 photo of Apollo Bunder & Harbour in British-era Bombay ....read more

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devmaster2024-01-12T19:08:25+05:30
The Bombay Gymkhana Club British Era - 4 PCs 1900s
The Bombay Gymkhana Club British Era – 4 PCs 1900s
Gallery

The Bombay Gymkhana Club British Era – 4 PCs 1900s

The Bombay Gymkhana Club British Era – 4 PCs 1900s

Bombay Postcards, Old India Postcards

The Bombay Gymkhana Club British Era - 4 PCs 1900s Four postcards of the Gymkhana Club in Bombay (Mumbai) during ....read more

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devmaster2023-12-18T22:14:53+05:30
cave of elephanta
The Cave of Elephanta Bombay, 1832 Old Print
Gallery

The Cave of Elephanta Bombay, 1832 Old Print

The Cave of Elephanta Bombay, 1832 Old Print

Old Bombay Prints, Old India Prints

The Cave of Elephanta Bombay, 1832 Old Print An old 1832 print of the Cave of Elephanta in Bombay (Mumbai). ....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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