Aerial View of Royal Bombay Yacht Club & Annexe, 2 Postcards 1927
Two 1927 postcards show aerial views of the Royal Bombay Yacht Club and its Annexe in British-era Bombay (Mumbai). The original photos were taken by the aerial specialist A. R. Haseler. Captain Haseler was a pioneering British aerial photographer and a former officer in the British Indian Army. Operating during the 1930s, he became the first photographer in Bombay to document the city from the air, capturing stunning bird’s-eye views of its colonial and Art Deco architecture. Shown are those of the Royal Bombay Yacht Club, with its Annexe, Apollo Bunder, and its waterfront.
Founded in 1846, the Club is one of India’s most historic and prestigious sailing and social institutions. It is known for its colonial-era architecture and rich maritime legacy. Originally established as the Bombay Yacht Club in 1846, it was granted the prefix “Royal” by Queen Victoria, believed to be during her silver jubilee. The residential chambers or annexe were built in 1896, featuring a blend of Venetian Gothic and Indo-Saracenic architecture. The Club in 1911 hosted King George V and Queen Mary upon their arrival in Bombay for the Delhi Durbar. The original waterfront building near the waterfront was acquired by the government post-Independence. It now serves as the offices for the Department of Atomic Energy. Today, the club operates out of the former residential chambers or Annexe situated to the west.
Did you know- that only in 1958 the club dropped its “Whites-only” policy, allowing Indian members for the first time.
