View Of George Town & Harbour In Madras, 1872 Photo
An old 1872 photo of George Town and the Harbour in Madras, now Chennai. This is one of the earliest views of Madras taken from the high court. The iron pier harbour jutting into the water, with masted steamer ships visible close by. The concrete breakwater pontoons are not visible in this image.
Apparently, they were yet to be constructed in this period. The pontoons were built at a slightly later date see post Looking Towards Madras Harbour & Parry’s 1866. Shown on the left are commercial buildings and the Black Town. The Black Town is where the natives resided. It was renamed George Town in 1910 in honour of King George V.
See the corner space of the unmetalled road’s “T” junction that has dilapidated houses and sheds. This corner space would become the address of the future Parry & Co. And the area would be known by the famous name Parry’s Corner. The unmetalled roads of the “T” shaped junction are today’s important arterial roads of Chennai.
One of them is now the NSC Bose Road (previously Clive Road). The other is the “Beach Road” or “Rajaji Road” (First Line Beach Line). On the left of the Parrys is the Madras Christian College building. And the space somewhere behind the Pier would transform into the General Post office and Beach Railway Station respectively. Electric tram tracks would be laid on the NSC Bose Road a few years later. Click on the photo for better view.
Did you know – the Fort St George is located in the foreground and is not visible in this image.
From the collection – Raja Ravi Varma’s “Birth of Shakuntala” Oleograph 1894., Birds Eye View of Back Bay Bombay, Postcard 1900., Man Singh Palace Gwalior – Old Print 1872.
The images are of the actual items from my collection. And Not a photocopy, pirated, reproduced, stock photos, or taken from other sources.
