The Reclamation & Enlargement of The Gateway of India Site In Bombay
Two rare sepia photos from 1912 showing the reclamation and enlargement work at the Gateway of India site in Bombay (now Mumbai). The location was known (and probably still is) as Apollo Bunder. It was also known by the names Apollo Pier or Wellington Pier. These photos capture the transformation of the foreshore area that would soon become home to the iconic Gateway of India, built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to India.
Before the Gateway’s construction, the site was narrower and had been partially reclaimed around 1830. By the mid-1880s, Bombay’s eastern shoreline, from Apollo Bunder to Mazagaon, was extensively reclaimed to accommodate the city’s booming trade. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 further accelerated Mumbai’s prosperity by increasing maritime trade and migration. The photos show a military ceremony, probably a welcome or perhaps a farewell ceremony in progress alongside the reclamation work. Click photo to enlarge.
Did you know- right up to the end of the 18th century, the British East India Company often contemplated whether the possession of Bombay (seven islands) was worth it.
From the collection- 1964 M. Suriyamoorthy Charcoal Art Abstract (#16)., View of Shoolay Bangalore, Old Postcard 1910., Back Bay From Malabar Hill Mumbai, 2 Old Prints 1870., WWII Map of American & British Troop Location 1946.
