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Homenb-develop-admin2026-07-18T17:43:18+05:30
nb-develop-admin2021-05-29T17:37:49+05:30
Raja Ravi Varma Paintings - 2 Old Postcards 1976
Raja Ravi Varma Painting – 2 Old Postcards 1976
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Raja Ravi Varma Painting – 2 Old Postcards 1976

Raja Ravi Varma Painting – 2 Old Postcards 1976

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The Experimental Steam Tram of Calcutta, 1900 Postcard
The Experimental Steam Tram of Calcutta, 1900 Postcard
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The Experimental Steam Tram of Calcutta, 1900 Postcard

The Experimental Steam Tram of Calcutta, 1900 Postcard

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Electric Trams of Madras / Chennai – 2 Old Photos 1935
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Electric Trams During The British Era In Madras, 2 Photos 1911

Electric Trams During The British Era In Madras, 2 Photos 1911

Madras Photos, Old India Photos

Electric Trams During British Era Madras, 2 Photos 1911 Two photographs (1911 & 1930) of electric trams during the British [...]

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The Gateway of India In The British Era Bombay-1942 Photo
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The Gateway of India In The British Era Bombay-1942 Photo

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The Gateway of India In The British Era Bombay-1942 Photo A 1942 photo of the Gateway of India in British-era [...]

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Ooty Train Over The Wellington Viaduct - Old Postcard 1909
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Ooty Train Over The Wellington Viaduct – Old Postcard 1909

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Dehradun Railway Station British India – Old Postcard 1911

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Maharaja Of Travancore Chithira Thirunal , 1955 PC
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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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