Ancient Indian Photographs


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In this thread I will post some past photographs of India. I will request others member to post as well. I really like seeing old things.


First set of photographs are of Calcutta of 1944

The Hensley Collection is a collection of photographs taken during Second World War by an American serviceman, Glenn S. Hensley. The photographs, numbering almost 600, were given to the University of Chicago Library by the photographer. The text with the images is taken from notes written by Mr. Hensley himself.

The images include a rich collection of photographs taken in Calcutta (Kolkata) during 1943-1944 by Mr. Hensley, a professional photographer participating in the surveillance of the Japanese in Burma for the U.S. Army. During his off-duty time Mr. Hensley used his ethnographer's eye to capture daily life in a number of locations around India. The majority of the images are from Calcutta and its environs. Other locations in this collection are Madras (Chennai), Kharagpur, Agra, and Burma. The photographs and notes were prepared by Hensley for his wife to use in teaching world history courses in Missouri during Second World War
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I just really loved to see more photo of that era. I just think how people's were so cool those days. No chaos, no traffic, friendly people,Everything was just fine.
 
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Tenida, what a great thread man! Beautiful pictures, Fantastic effort.

Requesting all members to post if they have any old pics. I will post some from my collection too.
I also think its better to put some info on each picture about the location and time period if known.

Thank you [clap]
 
Thread Starter #6
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100-yr-old photos of British India


The most interesting discoveries are indeed made in the most unlikely of places: a treasure-trove of photographs, documenting life in India over 100 years ago during the British Raj, has recently been found in a shoebox in Edinburgh.A total of 178 negatives were found in a shoebox for a pair of grey, size 9, Peter Lord slip-on shoes by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS). The stunning negatives were stored in 5” by 8” plate boxes and had been wrapped in copies of The Statesman newspaper of 1914.Nothing is yet known about the photographer of these historic images, although efforts are on to find out his or her identity.Among the images are some that depict the celebrations for the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to Calcutta in 1912 with the city's buildings all lit up. Others show pilgrims gathered for a religious festival; merchants selling their wares outside the Jagannath temple in Orissa; labourers pulling carts loaded with crates at (probably) the Howrah station, while another shows a woman standing outside a house, most likely, in Darjeeling.Take a look at these amazing photographs from a bygone era and marvel at what life was like for the common Indian during the British rule


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Thread Starter #7
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Set: III 1955


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A boatman propels his boat with a single oar along the Jumna river, in the background rises the Taj Mahal.

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A young Indian girl and some friends. The Family Planning clinics being set up in India should bring a happier childhood and adult life to children like her.


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Two men taking their morning wash at a public pump on the streets of Calcutta, India

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A man buying fruit from a street stall in front of an advertising hoarding promoting several films in New Delhi, India.

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A farmer and his oxcart trudge past the girders of the Howrah bridge over the Hooghly river in Calcutta.

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Operators at work in the New Delhi Telephone Exchange

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Boats travelling the backwaters near Cochin, in the state of Kerala.
 
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Thanks Tenida for letting us know the ancient India.

One thing to notice is, none of Indians seem to be Obese those days.

The current generation is obese.
 
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Thanks Tenida for letting us know the ancient India.

One thing to notice is, none of Indians seem to be Obese those days.

The current generation is obese.
In those days people used to walk more (attribute to less transporation/vehicle options)
In those days people used to eat less (attribute to country recovering from poverty)

These two came to my mind there might be many other factors too.
 
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I got this from my Facebook ....

One day during his visit to London, King Jai Singh was walking in casual dress in Bond Street. He saw a Rolls Royce showroom and went inside to inquire about the Price and Features etc of their cars. Considering him a just another Poor Indian citizen, showroom salesmen insulted him and almost showed him the way out of the showroom.

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After this insult, King Jai Singh came back to his Hotel room and asked his servants to call the showroom that King of Alwar city is interested in purchasing their few Cars.
After few hours King reached the Rolls Royce showroom again but with his full astonishing royal manner and in his royal costume. Until he reached the showroom there was already red carpet on the floor and all the salesmen were bent with respect. The King purchased all the six cars that they had at showroom at that time and paid full amount with delivery costs.
After reaching India, King ordered municipal department to use all those six Rolls Royce cars for cleaning and transporting city’s waste. World’s number one Rolls Royce cars were being used for transportation of City’s waste, the news spread all over the world rapidly and the reputation of Rolls Royce Company was in drains.
Whenever someone used to boast in Europe or America that he owned a Rolls Royce, people used to laugh saying, “which one? The same that is used in India for carrying the waste of the City?”
Due to such reputation damages, sales of Rolls Royce dropped rapidly and revenue of company owners started falling down. Then they sent a Telegram to the king in India for apologies and requested to stop transportation of waste in Rolls Royce cars. Not only this but they also offered Six new cars to king free of cost.
When King Jai Singh observed that Rolls Royce has learnt a lesson and they are sorry for their mistakes, king stopped using those cars for carrying wastes.

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Well last pic looks like a fake(Yes, I know you posted it off of facebook) IMO. Check the background it is not India and also if you check the way the brooms attached it looks like photoshoped.

But excellent collection being posted here [clap] Keep going, I love ancient India.
 
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Just a question, am I allowed to download these pictures and post it elsewhere say facebook ? what is the policy? (Definitely I will keep the TAI watermark). Tempted to post it [roll]
 

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