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Old Book 1887, Dupleix And The Empire Of India
Old Book 1887, Dupleix And The Empire Of India
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Old Book 1887, Dupleix And The Empire Of India

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Fort William & Red Road At Esplanade Calcutta, 1900 PC
Fort William & Red Road At Esplanade Calcutta, 1900 PC
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Fort William & Red Road At Esplanade Calcutta, 1900 PC

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Fort William & Red Road At Esplanade Calcutta, 1900 PC Old 1900 postcard of Fort William and Red Road at [...]

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Holwell's Monument Kolkata, Old Postcard 1905
Holwell’s Monument Kolkata, Old Postcard 1905
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Holwell’s Monument Kolkata, Old Postcard 1905

Holwell’s Monument Kolkata, Old Postcard 1905

Calcutta Postcard, Old India Postcards

Holwell's Monument Kolkata, Old Postcard 1905 This is an old 1905 photo postcard of the Holwell's Monument at Calcutta, now [...]

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Indian Cavalry In Europe WW1, Old Postcard 1914
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Arrival Of Fiat Trucks Bombay, Old Postcard 1915
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Arrival Of Fiat Trucks Bombay, Old Postcard 1915

Arrival Of Fiat Trucks Bombay, Old Postcard 1915

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Arrival Of Fiat Trucks Bombay, Old Postcard 1915 An old 1915 photo postcard shows a lineup of Italian Fiat Trucks [...]

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nb-develop-admin2022-11-27T16:57:03+05:30
Grand Hotel & Cars In Calcutta, Old Photo 1927
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Grand Hotel & Cars In Calcutta, Old Photo 1927

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Grand Hotel & Cars In Calcutta, Old Photo 1927 This is an old 1927 photo that shows the Grand Hotel [...]

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British Era Bombay Presidency Map, 1900
British Era Bombay Presidency Map, 1900
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British Era Bombay Presidency Map, 1900

British Era Bombay Presidency Map, 1900

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British Era Bombay Presidency Map, 1900 This is a 1900 map of the British-era Bombay Presidency. It is ironic that [...]

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nb-develop-admin2024-01-21T23:01:14+05:30
Rare Glimpse of British Audience In Colonial Era India, 1880 Photo
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Rare Glimpse of British Audience In Colonial Era India, 1880 Photo

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British Era Calcutta (Kolkata) Views, 5 Photos 1940
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British Era Calcutta (Kolkata) Views, 5 Photos 1940

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British Era Calcutta (Kolkata) Views, 5 Photos 1940 There are 5 small-sized old photos with views of British-era Calcutta, now [...]

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nb-develop-admin2026-07-24T22:19:05+05:30
Inauguration of New Delhi, Old Photo 1931
The Inauguration Day of New Delhi, 1931 Photo
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The Inauguration Day of New Delhi, 1931 Photo

The Inauguration Day of New Delhi, 1931 Photo

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The Inauguration Day of New Delhi, 1931 Photo This is a rare 1931 news photograph of the Inauguration of New [...]

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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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