Life In British India Era, Old Photo 1865
A rare old and interesting photo giving a glimpse of life in the British India era of 1865. Pictured is a seated Britisher with his pet dog supervising the work being done in his backyard by an Indian gardner. The vast compounded garden possibly implies that the Britisher may have been of some standing.
The gardner dutifully mowing the lawn with an eye-catching sight of a mechanical lawnmower of that time. The gardner wearing dhoti indicates the scene from some part of northern India. By the early 20th century India witnessed a great increase in domestic servants and help.
There was an escalation in domestic servants from 1900 onwards. Not that it was any lesser earlier but because of the opening of the Suez canal in 1869 more Britishers and Europeans sailed to India cheaply and in a shorter time. Since the arrival of a greater number of Europeans, consequently, domestic help also surged. The four principal cities of Calcutta, Bombay, Madras, and Delhi became the largest employers of domestic help. Click on the photo for better view
See post- Colonial Bungalow In British India – Old Photo 1865.
Did you know- the British Empire today is still in possession of 14 territories. But none of them have asked for independence.
More from the collection- Rare Advertisement Taj Palace Hotel Bombay 1907., Tellicherry On The Malabar Coast – Old Print 1922., Cochin Port Trust Office Building – Old Postcard 1950., 1964 M. Suriyamoorthy Charcoal Art Abstract (#1)
