British Era Motor Cars On Chowringhee Road, Calcutta, 1927 Photo
A 1927 photo shows British motor cars on Chowringhee Road in Calcutta (Kolkata). Beautiful British era cars, now considered vintage, run on Chowringhee Road. The charming boxlike building in the foreground is the famous Grand Hotel. Chowringhee Road was one of the first thoroughfares in Calcutta, it is believed to have existed even before the city was formed. During the colonial era, it was the go-to place for hangouts by the Britishers because of its stores, restaurants, hotels, theaters, etc.
Shown on the right is the Italian restaurant Firpo’s, which was another piece of history. Further up, the picture shows the domed building of Whiteway, Laidlaw & Co. Almost all the shopping for the Europeans took place in this Whiteway, Laidlaw & Co departmental store. The cluster of motorcars and the historical establishments make this photo an interesting piece of history. See also the lineup of cars in front of the Grand Hotel, these were probably taxis at the time. Click on the photo to enlarge.
See post Motor Cars In Colonial Era Kolkata’s Cityscape.
Did you know- Chowringhee or Cherangi was one of the clusters of villages from which the city of Kolkata grew in British times.
From the collection- Raja Ravi Varma’s Goddess Laxmi 2 Postcards., Domestic Life In British India, Photo 1890., Cochin Port Trust Office Building – Old Postcard 1950., Bandra Near Bombay – Old Print 1882
