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Homenb-develop-admin2026-07-18T17:43:18+05:30
nb-develop-admin2026-07-11T13:37:25+05:30
Rare 1930s vintage postcard showing Apollo Bunder with Bombay Harbour and Ballard Pier in the distance, Bombay (Mumbai), India.
Historic Apollo Bunder and Ballard Pier Bombay, 1920 Postcard
Gallery

Historic Apollo Bunder and Ballard Pier Bombay, 1920 Postcard

Historic Apollo Bunder and Ballard Pier Bombay, 1920 Postcard

Bombay Postcards, Old India Postcards

Historic Apollo Bunder and Ballard Pier Bombay, 1920 Postcard A 1930 postcard of Apollo Bunder and Ballard Pier in Bombay [...]

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nb-develop-admin2026-07-10T20:20:13+05:30
Three vintage postcards of Cubbon Park, Bangalore, showing the park avenue, old Secretariat Buildings, and the Maharaja's statue during the British era.
Views Of Cubbon Park, Secretariat & Statue Bangalore, 3 PCs1900
Gallery

Views Of Cubbon Park, Secretariat & Statue Bangalore, 3 PCs1900

Views Of Cubbon Park, Secretariat & Statue Bangalore, 3 PCs1900

Bangalore Postcards, Old India Postcards

Views Of Cubbon Park, Secretariat & Statue In Bangalore, 3 Postcards 1900 Views from three vintage 1900 postcards of Cubbon [...]

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nb-develop-admin2026-07-10T04:35:31+05:30
Historic Officer's Mess House inside Fort St. George, Madras (Chennai), photographed during the British colonial era with the Madras Lighthouse visible in the distance.
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Gallery

Officers Mess, Cannons & Rail, Fort St George Madras, 1885

Officers Mess, Cannons & Rail, Fort St George Madras, 1885

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Officers Mess, Cannons & Rail Trolley Inside Fort St George Madras, 1885 Photo An 1885 photograph shows the officer mess, [...]

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nb-develop-admin2026-07-09T11:57:55+05:30
Rare 1900 photograph of the Back Bay Swimming Bath in British-era Bombay (Mumbai), showing Parsi members and an Indian attendant.
Back Bay Swimming Bath In British Era Bombay, 1900 Photo
Gallery

Back Bay Swimming Bath In British Era Bombay, 1900 Photo

Back Bay Swimming Bath In British Era Bombay, 1900 Photo

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Back Bay Swimming Bath In British Era Bombay, 1900 Photo A rare 1900 photograph captures the Back Bay Swimming Bath [...]

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nb-develop-admin2026-07-09T10:22:46+05:30
1971 British Admiralty nautical chart showing Bombay Harbour, Mumbai port, navigational channels, coastal features, and water depths.
Admiralty Nautical Chart of Bombay Harbour, 1971 Edition
Gallery

Admiralty Nautical Chart of Bombay Harbour, 1971 Edition

Admiralty Nautical Chart of Bombay Harbour, 1971 Edition

Maps & Plans, More

Admiralty Nautical Chart of Bombay Harbour, 1971 Edition An original 1971 Admiralty Nautical Chart of Bombay Harbour. Depicting one of [...]

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nb-develop-admin2026-07-09T07:21:00+05:30
Rare photographs of early motor cars in British India featuring a 1912 Buick Tourer, Chevrolet and Ford Model A near Bombay's Gateway of India during the 1910s and 1930s.
Early Motor Cars At Bombay’s Gateway of India, 2 Photos 1912-30
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Early Motor Cars At Bombay’s Gateway of India, 2 Photos 1912-30

Early Motor Cars At Bombay’s Gateway of India, 2 Photos 1912-30

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Early Motor Cars At Bombay's Gateway of India, 2 Photos 1912-30 Two 1912-1930 photographs depict motocars from the British India [...]

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nb-develop-admin2026-07-08T14:51:10+05:30
The 1874 Crawford Market Fountain inside Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Market, Mumbai, featuring Victorian architecture and sculptures by John Lockwood Kipling.
Plan of the Crawford Market Fountain, Bombay, 1874 Newspaper
Gallery

Plan of the Crawford Market Fountain, Bombay, 1874 Newspaper

Plan of the Crawford Market Fountain, Bombay, 1874 Newspaper

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The Plan of Crawford Market's Fountain in Bombay, 1874 Newspaper Page A page from the London-based The Building News of [...]

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nb-develop-admin2026-07-07T21:18:07+05:30
Premchand Roychand Richest Man In 19th Century Bombay, 1890
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Premchand Roychand Richest Man In 19th Century Bombay, 1890

Premchand Roychand Richest Man In 19th Century Bombay, 1890

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Premchand Roychand The Richest Man In 19th Century Bombay, 1890 Photo A rare 1890 photo of Premchand Roychand, once the [...]

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nb-develop-admin2026-07-07T18:06:57+05:30
Historic view of the Madras Government Museum in Egmore, Chennai, India's second oldest museum, established in 1851 during the British era.
Madras Museum, The 2nd Oldest Museum in India & Asia, 1900
Gallery

Madras Museum, The 2nd Oldest Museum in India & Asia, 1900

Madras Museum, The 2nd Oldest Museum in India & Asia, 1900

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Madras Museum, The 2nd Oldest Museum in India & Asia, 1900 Photo A 1900 photograph of the Madras Museum, the [...]

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nb-develop-admin2026-07-07T00:12:27+05:30
1912 British Indian Royal Horse Artillery with horse-drawn field gun in Bangalore Cantonment.
British Royal Horse Artillery Colonial Era Bangalore, 1912 Photo
Gallery

British Royal Horse Artillery Colonial Era Bangalore, 1912 Photo

British Royal Horse Artillery Colonial Era Bangalore, 1912 Photo

Bangalore Photos, Old India Photos

British Royal Horse Artillery Colonial Era Bangalore, 1912 Photo Rare 1912 photograph of the British Royal Horse Artillery in Colonial [...]

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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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