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Homenb-develop-admin2026-07-18T17:43:18+05:30
nb-develop-admin2024-01-03T03:52:38+05:30
proposed expansion of bombay port
Proposed Expansion Of The Bombay Port, 1904 Print
Gallery

Proposed Expansion Of The Bombay Port, 1904 Print

Proposed Expansion Of The Bombay Port, 1904 Print

Bombay Prints, Old India Prints

Proposed Expansion Of The Bombay Port, 1904 Print     This rare print on Bombay Port's expansion is a page [...]

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nb-develop-admin2023-11-08T04:58:42+05:30
chepauk palace
The Chepauk Palace Madras, 1900 Postcard
Gallery

The Chepauk Palace Madras, 1900 Postcard

The Chepauk Palace Madras, 1900 Postcard

Madras Postcards, Old India Postcards

The Chepauk Palace Madras, 1900 Postcard An old 1900 postcard of the Chepauk Palace in Madras (Chennai). Among the buildings [...]

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nb-develop-admin2023-11-13T06:12:41+05:30
great western hotel and st andrew's church
St Andrews, Ice House, Great Western Hotel Bombay – 2 PCs 1910
Gallery

St Andrews, Ice House, Great Western Hotel Bombay – 2 PCs 1910

St Andrews, Ice House, Great Western Hotel Bombay – 2 PCs 1910

Bombay Postcards, Old India Postcards

St Andrew's Church, Ice House, Great Western Hotel In Bombay - 2 Postcards 1910 Two old 1910 postcards that show [...]

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nb-develop-admin2023-11-07T10:17:36+05:30
mohammadi mahal
Kalbadevi & Mohammadi Mahal Bombay – 2 Postcards 1910
Gallery

Kalbadevi & Mohammadi Mahal Bombay – 2 Postcards 1910

Kalbadevi & Mohammadi Mahal Bombay – 2 Postcards 1910

Bombay Postcards, Old India Postcards

Kalbadevi & Mohammadi Mahal Bombay - 2 Postcards 1910 Two old 1910 postcards of Kalbadevi and Mohammadi Mahal in Bombay [...]

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nb-develop-admin2023-11-04T18:37:37+05:30
moonlit art india
Lake & House On A Serene Moonlit Night, 1944 Painting
Gallery

Lake & House On A Serene Moonlit Night, 1944 Painting

Lake & House On A Serene Moonlit Night, 1944 Painting

Art & Raja Ravi Varma Collection

Lake & House On A Serene Moonlit Night, 1944 Painting A scene of a lake and house on a serene [...]

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nb-develop-admin2024-02-12T04:37:37+05:30
Commercial Road In Ooty During British Era, 1930 Postcard
Commercial Road In Ooty During British Era, 1930 Postcard
Gallery

Commercial Road In Ooty During British Era, 1930 Postcard

Commercial Road In Ooty During British Era, 1930 Postcard

Madras Postcards, Old India Postcards

Commercial Road In Ooty During British Era, 1930 Postcard   A rare view of Commercial Road in Ooty during the [...]

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nb-develop-admin2026-08-14T20:28:24+05:30
Rare 1947 photograph of British soldiers leaving India by ship, believed to have been taken off the coast of Bombay with the Taj Mahal Hotel faintly visible.
British Depart From India After 300 Years Of Colonial Rule, 1947
Gallery

British Depart From India After 300 Years Of Colonial Rule, 1947

British Depart From India After 300 Years Of Colonial Rule, 1947

Bombay Photos, Old India Photos

The British Depart From India After 300 Years Of Colonial Rule, 1947 Photo A 1947 photograph captures one of the [...]

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nb-develop-admin2023-11-02T08:02:04+05:30
bangalore view
View of Bangalore From The Fort, 1900 Stereo Photo
Gallery

View of Bangalore From The Fort, 1900 Stereo Photo

View of Bangalore From The Fort, 1900 Stereo Photo

Bangalore Photos, Old India Photos

View of Bangalore From The Fort, 1900 Stereo Photo     An old 1900 stereo photo with a view of [...]

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nb-develop-admin2024-01-23T03:34:30+05:30
Secretariat & Statue Fort St George Madras, 1880 Photo
Secretariat & Statue Fort St George Madras, 1880 Photo
Gallery

Secretariat & Statue Fort St George Madras, 1880 Photo

Secretariat & Statue Fort St George Madras, 1880 Photo

Madras Photos, Old India Photos

Secretariat & Statue Fort St George Madras, 1880 Photo   An old 1880 photo of the Fort House & Cornwallis [...]

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nb-develop-admin2023-10-30T17:10:26+05:30
civil aviation market
Civil Aviation Market In India, 1930 Print
Gallery

Civil Aviation Market In India, 1930 Print

Civil Aviation Market In India, 1930 Print

Old India Prints, Other India Prints

Civil Aviation Market In India, 1930 Print   Article on the Civil Aviation Market In India, this is a page [...]

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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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