British India Era Social Life In Madras & Poona, Old 1910 Print
Old print of British India era social life in Madras (or Chennai) and Poona (Pune). This page is from the then British run Times of India’s supplement of November 23, 1910. Revealing a rare glimpse of a once active British social life in the colonial era. It shows three interesting photos, one is an animated play in progress in Pune, and the other two are wedding gatherings both in Madras.
The high-profile weddings are that of Mr Ian Scott-MacKenzie with Miss Frances Hilda Fowler. And Captain C. H. Elliott to Miss Edith Mead. The pictures display fashionable European women all stylishly dressed for the occasion with their equally stylish hats. Indeed a rare sight to find quite a large concentration of foreign women in India then.
The wedding venue may have been the Madras Banqueting Hall or Adyar boat club. Chennai was one of the main centers of the British Raj. That had a large concentration of military and civil service officers in and around Fort St George. Social and cultural life like clubbing, wedding, and theater were a common recreation amongst the Europeans. Since movies were just evolving at that time, theater and drama were highly popular. Click on the photo for better view.
Older post Theatre In Mumbai- Old Postcard 1895.
Did you know- European women came to India in ships every year until the 1920s in search of potential European husbands.
From the collection- Vintage Oleograph Raja Ravi Varma “Vishnu On Sheshnag”., Delhi Inauguration Party Viceroy’s House – Old Photo 1931., Parade At Mysore Palace – Old Postcard 1900., Bombay Car Rally Vintage Cars – Old Print 1906
