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Cumballa Hill War Hospital Bombay, 1915 Red Cross Postcard
Cumballa Hill War Hospital Bombay, 1915 Red Cross Postcard
Gallery

Cumballa Hill War Hospital Bombay, 1915 Red Cross Postcard

Cumballa Hill War Hospital Bombay, 1915 Red Cross Postcard

Bombay Postcards, Old India Postcards

Cumballa Hill War Hospital Bombay, 1915 Red Cross Postcard A 1915 postcard of the Cumballa Hill War Hospital, issued by ....read more

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wolseley Vintage Car india
Wolseley Motor Car In British India Era, 1911 Newspaper Page
Gallery

Wolseley Motor Car In British India Era, 1911 Newspaper Page

Wolseley Motor Car In British India Era, 1911 Newspaper Page

More, Vintage Motoring

Wolseley Motor Car In British India Era, 1911 Newspaper Page A page from The Illustrated London News of March 18, ....read more

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Old Book 1995- Madras Its Past & Its Present
Old Book 1995- Madras Its Past & Its Present
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Old Book 1995- Madras Its Past & Its Present

Old Book 1995- Madras Its Past & Its Present

Books & Publications, More

Old Book 1995- Madras Its Past & Its Present Title- Madras Its Past & Its Present Author- S. Muthiah Publisher- ....read more

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Farewell Parade At The Gateway of India Mumbai, 1931 Photo
Farewell Parade At The Gateway of India Mumbai, 1931 Photo
Gallery

Farewell Parade At The Gateway of India Mumbai, 1931 Photo

Farewell Parade At The Gateway of India Mumbai, 1931 Photo

Bombay Photos, Old India Photos

Farewell Parade At The Gateway of India Mumbai, 1931 Photo Old 1931 photo of the farewell parade at the Gateway ....read more

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Construction of Umaid Bhavan Palace Jodhpur, 1936 Postcard
Construction of Umaid Bhavan Palace Jodhpur, 1936 Postcard
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Construction of Umaid Bhavan Palace Jodhpur, 1936 Postcard

Construction of Umaid Bhavan Palace Jodhpur, 1936 Postcard

Old India Postcards, Other India Postcards

Construction of Umaid Bhavan Palace Jodhpur, 1936 Postcard Old 1936 photo pc or postcard of the Umaid Bhavan Palace at ....read more

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King George V & Queen Mary's Arrival In Bombay, 1912 Print
The Arrival of King George V & Queen Mary In Bombay, 1912 Print
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The Arrival of King George V & Queen Mary In Bombay, 1912 Print

The Arrival of King George V & Queen Mary In Bombay, 1912 Print

Bombay Prints, Old India Prints

The Arrival of King George V & Queen Mary In Bombay, 1912 Print This is a page from The Sphere ....read more

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Madras Central Railway Station Before Installing The Clocks, 1874 Photo
Madras Central Railway Station Before Installing The Clocks, 1874
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Madras Central Railway Station Before Installing The Clocks, 1874

Madras Central Railway Station Before Installing The Clocks, 1874

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Madras Central Railway Station Before Installing The Clocks, 1874 Photo Old 1874 photo of the newly constructed Madras Central Railway ....read more

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Chepauk Palace Chennai From The River, Old Photo 1880
Chepauk Palace Chennai From The River, Old Photo 1880
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Chepauk Palace Chennai From The River, Old Photo 1880

Chepauk Palace Chennai From The River, Old Photo 1880

Madras Photos, Old India Photos

Chepauk Palace Chennai From The River, Old Photo 1880 This is an old 1880 photo of the view of the ....read more

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Chandni Chowk In Old Delhi, Old Photo 1860
Chandni Chowk In Old Delhi, Old Photo 1860
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Chandni Chowk In Old Delhi, Old Photo 1860

Chandni Chowk In Old Delhi, Old Photo 1860

Delhi Photos, Old India Photos

Chandni Chowk In Old Delhi, Old Photo 1860 Old 1860 photo of the once elegant boulevard of Chandni Chowk in ....read more

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Reception To King George V & Queen Mary In Bombay, 1911 print
Reception To King George V & Queen Mary In Bombay, 1911 print
Gallery

Reception To King George V & Queen Mary In Bombay, 1911 print

Reception To King George V & Queen Mary In Bombay, 1911 print

Bombay Prints, Old India Prints

Reception To King George V & Queen Mary In Bombay, 1911 print The print shows the preparation for the proposed ....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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