View of Elphinstone College & Kala Ghoda, Bombay, 1890 Photo
An 1890 photo with a view of Elphinstone College and Kala Ghoda in Bombay (Mumbai). Also seen are the Sassoon Library, horse tram, and bullock carts. The street is the Esplanade Road (Mahatma Gandhi Road). Built in the 1860s, the college lies opposite the Victoria And Albert Museum (Bhau Daji Lad Museum) in Byculla.
Named after Mountstuart Elphinstone, the Governor of Bombay from 1819 to 1827. The equestrian statue of a man astride a horse is called “Kala Ghoda” or the black horse. The area from the Victoria Museum to Flora Fountain and Horniman Circle is still known as Kala Ghoda. The famed Watson’s Hotel is in Kala Ghoda. The statue was erected in honour of Edward, Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII. After his visit to Bombay in 1875.
Partially visible is the David Sassoon Library. Built in 1870 by Albert Sassoon to honour his father David Sassoon. Who was one of the greatest industrialists in Bombay. Since motor vehicles did not make an appearance yet, bullock carts and horse carts were the next best modes of transport. A horse-driven tram is visible in the photo. They survived till the electric trams came into the scene in 1907. But all in all, trams sadly were removed from the city roads in 1964. Click on the image for better view.
See the college website.
Did you know – it was by the generosity of Cowasji Jehangir another major industrialist who helped fund the construction of Elphinstone College.
From the collection – Raja Ravi Varma’s Wife Bhageerathi Bayi, Rare 1870 Photo., The Indian Gymkhana Bangalore – Old Postcard 1932., Ruins At Fatehpur Sikri – Old Print 1820., Railway Station Ahmednagar – Old Postcard 1905.
The images are of the actual items from my collection. And Not a photocopy, pirated, reproduced, stock photos, or taken from other sources.
