Prince of Wales Museum, Bombay, As A War Hospital WWI, 1920 Photo
A 1920 photograph shows the famous Prince of Wales Museum as a war hospital during WWI in Bombay. The proposal for a museum was conceived in 1904 by prominent citizens of Bombay (Mumbai) in memory of the Prince of Wales’s impending visit. On 11 November 1905, the Prince of Wales (later King George V) laid the foundation stone during his and Queen Mary’s visit to India for the Delhi Durbar. To commemorate the visit, it was named the Prince of Wales Museum.
British architect George Wittet was commissioned in 1909 to design the building in the Indo-Saracenic style. A fusion of Hindu, Islamic, and Western architectural elements. The museum’s construction was completed in 1914. To alleviate the shortage of hospital beds, it instead opened to serve as a military hospital and children’s welfare center in World War I.
The building finally reopened as originally intended, the Prince of Wales Museum, in 1922, and was inaugurated by Lady Lloyd. It was renamed to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) in 1998. The building today is a Grade I Heritage Building. Honored with the Urban Heritage Award in 1990 and part of Mumbai’s UNESCO-listed Victorian Gothic and Art Deco ensemble. Click image to enlarge.
Did you know – it’s one of the few museums in India to display relics from the Indus Valley Civilization.
