Guided Tour No.1:  Howrah Station to Park Street

 

 

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Introduction

 

This tour will take us right through the flourishing busy centre of the city on a route which for many would have been their first experience of Calcutta.  You would pass grand buildings of importance for politics, business and history, truly convincing you that this might be second city of empire.

 

 

 

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Howrah Station

 

 

          _____Pictures of 1940s Calcutta________________________

 

Howrah railroad station

37

Sacred cattle and coolies push and pull great carts to the loading platform of the Howrah railroad station in background, on of the city's two stations.  Howrah is on the west bank of the river, and Sealdah, the other station, is in another section of Calcutta on the east side.

Clyde Waddell, US military man, personal press photographer of Lord Louis Mountbatten, and news photographer on Phoenix magazine. Calcutta, mid 1940s

(source: webpage http://oldsite.library.upenn.edu/etext/sasia/calcutta1947/?  Monday, 16-Jun-2003 / Reproduced by courtesy of David N. Nelson, South Asia Bibliographer, Van Pelt Library, University of Pennsylvania)

 

Indians in railway station

38

Indians seem to be great travellers.  Wartime transportation priorities have forced many wary travellers to remain in stations waiting for long periods.  Because of no other means, many must set up housekeeping during the long vigil, cooking their food on the spot and sleeping on the bare floor.

Clyde Waddell, US military man, personal press photographer of Lord Louis Mountbatten, and news photographer on Phoenix magazine. Calcutta, mid 1940s

(source: webpage http://oldsite.library.upenn.edu/etext/sasia/calcutta1947/?  Monday, 16-Jun-2003 / Reproduced by courtesy of David N. Nelson, South Asia Bibliographer, Van Pelt Library, University of Pennsylvania)

 

Indian family at train station

39

An Indian family sweat out a train.  Cooking vessels, clothes and bedding are surrounded by this group which is distinguished by the presence of one of India's wandering holy men, (at right with painted brow).

Clyde Waddell, US military man, personal press photographer of Lord Louis Mountbatten, and news photographer on Phoenix magazine. Calcutta, mid 1940s

(source: webpage http://oldsite.library.upenn.edu/etext/sasia/calcutta1947/?  Monday, 16-Jun-2003 / Reproduced by courtesy of David N. Nelson, South Asia Bibliographer, Van Pelt Library, University of Pennsylvania)

 

Public transportation awaits passengers arriving at Howrah Station

Glenn Hensley, Photography Technician with US Army Airforce, Summer 1944

 

 (source: Glenn S. Hensley: Howrah Station, Rr007, "Public transportation awaits passengers arriving at Howrah Station. View from Howrah Station. Howrah bridge and nearby ghats in background."  seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a  series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)

 

 (COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)

 

Looking toward South Strand Road

Glenn Hensley, Photography Technician with US Army Airforce, Summer 1944

 

 (source: Glenn S. Hensley: Looking toward South Strand Road, Rr008, "From Howrah Station, looking across toward  South Strand Road's warehouse and ship mooring area. This view is downstream from the second level of the station, shows public transportation waiting for passengers.."  seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a  series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)

 

 (COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)

 

Public transportation awaits passengers in front of Howrah Station, Calcutta

Glenn Hensley, Photography Technician with US Army Airforce, Summer 1944

 

 (source: Glenn S. Hensley: Howrah Station, Rr015, "Public transportation awaits passengers in front of Howrah Station, Calcutta."  seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a  series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)

 

 (COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)

 

 

 

 

          _____Contemporary Records of or about 1940s Calcutta___

 

 

Howrah Station is the terminus of two great railways

Before we start on our tour, we would like to give a brief description of the station itself. Howrah Station is the terminus of two great railways— the East Indian and the Bengal Nagpur—and is what one might call the main gateway to the City. From early morning till late at night the station presents an animated appearance, as thousands of passengers entrain and arrive at its many platforms. To get an idea of its importance we would mention that, on a busy day as many as 10,000 platform, tickets are sold.

Built in 1906 by the East Indian Railway Company, Howrah Station is lofty and commodious and equipped in every respect for the comfort and convenience of the travelling public. No trains are received or despatched after 11 p.m., and the station is entirely closed during the night.

For the convenience of passengers arriving by the principal trains the railway authorities arrange, as far as practicable, to receive such trains at platforms Nos. 1, 6 and 7 to which vehicles have direct access from roads running; alongside.   The main hall of the station is divided by a roadway into southern and northern halves, the former being intended for upper class and the latter for third class passengers.

At the end of the southern half are the public retiring rooms, and the Hindu, the Mohomedan. and the 1st and 2nd class refreshment rooms. Next, at the corner, are the ladies' and gentlemen's Inter-class waiting rooms with the booking offices within convenient reach. Nearby is the staircase leading to the first and second class waiting rooms on the upper floor. In the centre is a hair dressing saloon and .within a circular counter, are the enquiry office, the reservation office where berths for 1st. and 2nd. class and seats for Inter class passengers are reserved, and windows for the sale of stamps, platform tickets and despatch of telegrams. Crossing the roadway we gain the northern half where, immediately on the right, is an impressive memorial to the employees of the East Indian Railway who fell in the Great War (1914-18). Farther on, is another enquiry office, where seats are reserved for 3rd class passengers. Then comes the public telephone call office, alongside which, are post boxes tor ordinary and air-mail letters and a counter for the sale of platform tickets. At the northern end is a large waiting hall for 3rd. class passengers and attached to this hall is the 3rd. class ticket office with the luggage office nearby. At about the north-east corner is an exit indicated by a hoard marked "Way Out".

Emerging from the station by this exit, we have in front a line of hackney carnages and on the right, a taxi stand:

across the road, a parking-stand for private cars, engaged taxis and hackney carriages.   Farther down are the East Indian Railway Goods Sheds and Coal yard, while on our left, in Grierson Road, are the rickshaws.

There is a continuous Bus Service plying between Howrah Station and many parts of Calcutta. The out-going buses are drawn up in five parallel lines, at right angle to the Howrah Bridge.  Each bus carries a board in front displaying a service number, the route and names of the thoroughfares through which it runs- The route and number arc also marked on the sides. It ia a general practice to refer to a bus by its service number.

Those connected with Howrah Station are as follows :—

No. 5.   Howrah Station to Kalighat: via Strand Road, Dalhousie Square, Esplanade, Chowringhee Road, Ashutosh Mukerjee Road and Russa Road.

No. 8.   Howrah Station to BalIygange Station:  via Strand Road, Dalhousie Square, Esplanade, Dharamtala Street, Wellesley Street. Royd Street, Elliott Road. Lower Circular Road, Lansdowne Road, Hazra Road. Gariahat Road, Rash Behari Avenue, Ekdalia Road.

No. 8A- Howrah Station to Dhakuria Lake: Same as No. 8 up to Gariahat Road, then across Rash Behari Avenue to Dhakuria Lake.

No. 10. Howrah Station to Ballygange Railway Station: via Harrison Road, Lower Circular Eoad, New Park Street. Syed Ameer Ali Avenue, Old Ballygange Road, Gariahat Road, Rash Behari Avenue and Ekdalia Road.

No. 11. Howrah Station to Shambazar: via Harrison Road and Upper Circular Road.

No. llA. Howrah Station to Shambazar: via Strand Road (North), New Jagannath Ghat Road, Vivekenanda Road, Maniktala Spur and Upper Circular Road.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page -11 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

 

 

          _____Memories of 1940s Calcutta_______________________

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Howrah Bridge

 

 

          _____Pictures of 1940s Calcutta________________________

 

Cantilever bridge

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Calcutta boasts the third largest cantilever bridge in the world.  Its real importance, however, lies in the fact that it serves as Calcutta's gateway to the west, being the city's only bridge spanning the Hooghly.  Taking 7 years to build, it cost $10,000,000. It towers 310 feet as the city's highest structure, is 2,150 feet long with a center span of 1,500 feet.  It was completed in 1942, opened in February, 1943.

Clyde Waddell, US military man, personal press photographer of Lord Louis Mountbatten, and news photographer on Phoenix magazine. Calcutta, mid 1940s

(source: webpage http://oldsite.library.upenn.edu/etext/sasia/calcutta1947/?  Monday, 16-Jun-2003 / Reproduced by courtesy of David N. Nelson, South Asia Bibliographer, Van Pelt Library, University of Pennsylvania)

 

Busy scene along Strand Bank Road upstream  from Howrah Bridge,  Calcutta

Glenn Hensley, Photography Technician with US Army Airforce, Summer 1944

 

 (source: Glenn S. Hensley: Strand Bank Road, B029, "Busy scene along Strand Bank Road upstream  from Howrah Bridge, Calcutta"  seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a  series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)

 

 (COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)

 

Howrah Bridge from Howrah Station side of the river

Glenn Hensley, Photography Technician with US Army Airforce, Summer 1944

 

 (source: Glenn S. Hensley: Howrah Bridge, H001, Howrah Bridge from Howrah Station side of the river.  seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a  series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)

 

 (COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)

 

West approach to Howrah Bridge, Calcutta

Glenn Hensley, Photography Technician with US Army Airforce, Summer 1944

 

 (source: Glenn S. Hensley: West approach , H002, "West approach to Howrah Bridge, Calcutta, "  seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a  series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)

 

 (COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)

 

Howrah Bridge from Howrah side toward

Glenn Hensley, Photography Technician with US Army Airforce, Summer 1944

 

 (source: Glenn S. Hensley: Looking to Calcutta, H004, "Howrah Bridge from Howrah side toward ,"  seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a  series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)

 

 (COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)

 

 

 

 

          _____Contemporary Records of or about 1940s Calcutta___

 

 

this bridge carries a heavier volume of traffic than London Bridge

Howrah is linked with Calcutta by the Howrah Bridge, which spans the river Hooghly. The bridge is of the floating type with the whole structure supported on steel pontoons. In order to allow the passage of vessels too large to pass under the bridge, the Authorities arrange to open it at previously notified times, generally at night. This is done by floating upstream the two centre pontoons, each carrying 100 feet of roadway and swinging them to lie clear or the 200 feet gap thus formed.

In 1871, Sir Bradford Leslie, Chief Engineer of the East Indian Railway, designed and constructred the bridge from parts manufactured in England, completing it in 1874, at a cost of £220,000. Its length is 1,528 feet between alignments. This structure was built to last for 25 years and it is an eloquent testimonial ro the constructors, that it has long outlived the period and is today carrying a volume of traffic which was neither provided for nor taken into calculation when the bridge was designed and constructed. Great credit is also due to the Bridge Commissioners for maintaining the bridge in a safe and serviceable condition.

The steady incrcease of traffic and the advent of motor transport, in recent years, necessitated the replacement of the old shore spans by modern and wider ones and this was done in 1928 by Messrs. Jessop & Company with complete success and without any dislocation of traffic.

The bridge is crowded at all hours, especially in the mornings and evenings, when suburban passengers arrive and depart from Calcutta. It has been calculated that this bridge carries a heavier volume of traffic than London Bridge.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 11-12 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

It is estimated that the bridge will be completed in 1941

After many years of controversy and indecision, a modern bridge of the cantilever type is now being constructed by the Cleveland Bridge and Engineering Co., Limited (London) after the design of their Consulting Engineers, Messrs. Rendel, Palmer and Tritton, at an estimated cost of Rs, 214 lakhs.

The new bridge will be sited approximately 650 feet upstream from the existing bridge, and will have a main span of l,500 feet centres of towers, made up of a central suspended span 564 feet long and two cantilever arms each 468 feet long- The anchor arms will each have a length of 325 feet, and the towers will rise to a height of approximately 270 feet above road level. The bridge will carry a road of 71 feet clear width between kerbs and will accommodate eight lines of rehicular traffic, including two tramway tracks running along the centre of the roadway. Pedestrian traffic will be accommodated by two 15 feet wide footpaths. It is estimaited that the bridge will be completed in 1941.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 12 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

 

 

          _____Memories of 1940s Calcutta_______________________

 

 

 

 

 

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Strand Road

 

 

 

          _____Pictures of 1940s Calcutta________________________

 

South Strand Road

Glenn Hensley, Photography Technician with US Army Airforce, Summer 1944

 

 (source: Glenn S. Hensley: South Strand Road, C023, "I am at a loss to place this scene, but I think it is on South Strand Road not far from the west end of Howrah Bridge."  seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a  series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)

 

 (COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)

 

 

 

 

Aerial view of Calcutta downtown

03

Aerial view of Calcutta downtown.  In upper left background is Hindusthan building, U.S. Army HQ.  The oldest part of the city starts at the esplanade and extends upwards.  The city was founded in the early 1700's.

Clyde Waddell, US military man, personal press photographer of Lord Louis Mountbatten, and news photographer on Phoenix magazine. Calcutta, mid 1940s

(source: webpage http://oldsite.library.upenn.edu/etext/sasia/calcutta1947/?  Monday, 16-Jun-2003 / Reproduced by courtesy of David N. Nelson, South Asia Bibliographer, Van Pelt Library, University of Pennsylvania)

 

Hooghly River

35

The Hooghly River is lined with bathing ghats like the one shown here.  The troop transports in the back-ground seem out of place in the old-world atmosphere created by the temple at left and the sampans at anchor.

Clyde Waddell, US military man, personal press photographer of Lord Louis Mountbatten, and news photographer on Phoenix magazine. Calcutta, mid 1940s

(source: webpage http://oldsite.library.upenn.edu/etext/sasia/calcutta1947/?  Monday, 16-Jun-2003 / Reproduced by courtesy of David N. Nelson, South Asia Bibliographer, Van Pelt Library, University of Pennsylvania)

 

Construction workers along Strand Bank Road, Calcutta

Glenn Hensley, Photography Technician with US Army Airforce, Summer 1944

 

 (source: Glenn S. Hensley: Construction workers, B030, "Construction workers along Strand Bank Road, Calcutta"  seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a  series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)

 

 (COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)

 

 

 

 

          _____Contemporary Records of or about 1940s Calcutta___

 

 

the junction of Harrison and Strand Roads

Crossing the existing bridge we come to the junction of Harrison and Strand Roads. The traffic at this point is exceptionally heavy. Census figures taken in 1933 show the passage of 23,000 vehicles in 12 hours.

Strand Road runs to the right as far as Esplanade Row (West) and to the left as far as the junction of Darmahatta and Nimtolla Ghat Streets, a short distance from which point, on the river bank, is the Nimtolla Burning Ghat. About a lurking north of the bridge is His Majesty's Mint. A little lower down, at No. 1, Nawab Lane, is the well known Jagannarh Temple and farther down. at No. 67, the Mayo Hospital, the foundation stone of which was laid by Lord Nortbrook in 1873 and the building, constructed by Mackintosh Burn &. Co., from the design of A.T.Osmond at a cost of Rs. 20 lakhs, completed and formally opened in 1874.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 12 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

Strand Road

Turning right and proceeding along Strand Road, we have on the right Armenian Ghat and the Port Commissioners' Warehouses and Jetties extending as far as Chandpal Ghat, with their railway lines running through to the Kidderpore Docks. On the left is Raja Woodmunt Street leading to Clive Street, then comes Canning Street leading to Colootola Street. At the entrance to Canning Street, immediately on the left, is Mohta House, […] Returning to Strand Road and pursuing our way, we pass Clive Ghat Street leading to Clive Street and reach Fairlie Place. At the corner of Strand Road and Fairlie Place stands Mackinnon Mackenzie &. Co's magnificent building (Inchcape House) accommodating MacNeill &. Co, the P & O Steamship Co, the P & O Banking Corporation., the London and Lancashire Assurance Co. Ltd., Barry & Co., and the Imperial Chemical Industries (India) Ltd.

Passing Hare Street and then Hastings Street, we come to the Imperial Bank of India, a handsome three storeyed building occupying the corner uf Strand Road and Esplanade Row (West).

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 13-14 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

Port Commissioners'

Lower down the thoroughfare, at the angle formed by Strand Road and Koila Ghat Street, is the Port Commissioners' building surmounted by a clock tower on which weather signals are hoisted.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 14 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

The Imperial Bank of India

Passing Hare Street and then Hastings Street, we come to the Imperial Bank of India, a handsome three storeyed building occupying the corner uf Strand Road and Esplanade Row (West). Founded in 1806 as the Government Bank of Calcutta, it received its Charter in 1809 under the name of the Bank of Bengal. The idea of a central banking establishment for British India was mooted as early as 1836, but the scheme did not come to fruition until January 1921, when the Provincial Banks of Bengal, Bombay and Madras were amalgamated to form the Imperial Bank of India, with a capital of 11½ crores of rupees divided inro fully paid up shares of Rs. 500/'- each. The Imperial Bank of India is the sole agent for the Reserve Bank of India.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 14 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

Metcalfe Hall

Farther on is Metcalfe Hall. a handsome building of Grecian architecture, erected in 1844 in memory of Lord Metcalfe, the liberator of the Indian Press. The ground floor was used as offices for the Agri-Horticultural Societyof India till 1902, after which date the building became the home of the Imperial Library up to 1923 ; it is now occupied by the Income Tax Department. Directly opposite is the stone structure of Ralli Brothers, built on the site of the old Sailors' Home.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 20 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

THE CALCUTTA MINT

Admission -.—Free, on obtaining permission from the Mint Master.

Trams :—Nimtola-Rajabazar via Dalhousie and Esplanade.

Buses :—No. 11A.

The Calcutta Mint is situated at No. 47 Strand Road, about a furlong to the north of the existing Howrah Bridge and nearly opposite the new bridge under construction. The building, of Grecian architecture with a handsome central portico, is a half-scale replica of the Temple of Minerva at Athens.

Designed by Major-General W.N. Forbes, the foundation stone was laid at a depth of 26 ½  feet on the 31st March 1824, and the building completed and equipped in 1830 at a cost of about Rs. 24 lakhs, an additional 3 lakhs being subsequently spent on further extensions.

Various additions have been made from time to time, and today the Mint is a fully-equipped complete workshop with its own sub-station, standing on 12 acres of ground. The Calcutta Mint is reputed to be the busiest in the world, its yearly output reaching enormous figures, The records show that in December 1918 the Mint produced as many as 1,900,000 finished coins in one day, a world record.

The structure in 1832 replaced the Old Mint in Church Lane which was built in 1791, and is now occupied by the Stamp and Stationery Department.

In the early days of the Mint, coins were struck in the name of the Moghul Emperor, but in 1835 the East India Company substituted its own coinage, which consisted of gold mohurs and silver rupees. Copper coins were introduced in 1865 and nickel coins in about 1907. In addition to striking coins the Mint is also responsible for the production of a large number of medals, both military and civil.

Coins struck in this Mint are put into circulation from the Currency Office in Dalhousie Square.

An exquisitely-sculptured marble bust of Major-General Forbes, who presided over the Mint for several years, adorns the bullion room.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source pages 119-120 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

 

 

          _____Memories of 1940s Calcutta_______________________

 

 

A find during the Building of the Customs House

The old Customs House was situated in the buildings which had stood since the days of 1757. The Collector’s Office was in the old house, once occupied by Siraj-ud-Daula. Some old documents came to light in the Grand Masonic Lodge of Calcutta and, from them, it appeared that the cornerstone of that building had been laid with a full Masonic ceremony. There was also information about some documents that had been deposited in it in a glass bottle.

The Collector of Customs decided to have it dug out before we left to go into a new Customs House, which had been under construction for three or four years. Work was put in hand and, after many days of digging under the north-east corner of the building, the stone came to light. It was in three slabs, each about eight inches thick. In the middle one, two holes had been cut, about five inches in diameter. In each hole was a glass bottle, one containing some old hand-written papers and the other was full of gold and silver coins: old British guineas, Indian gold mohurs, French Napoleons,Spanish doubloons, Dutch gold guilders, Danish gold pieces, and a few Portuguese gold pieces.

In all, some 120 pieces in gold and silver. They were all cleaned up by the jewellers, Hamilton & Co., and put in a flat, glass case and deposited in the historic collection, along with the documents, in the Queen Victoria Memorial. This huge edifice to the beloved Queen Victoria was erected by public subscription.

August Peter Hansen, Customs Inspector, Calcutta late 1930s
(source: pages 185-86 of August Peter Hansen: “Memoirs of an Adventurous Dane in India : 1904-1947” London: BACSA, 1999)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with 1999 Margaret [Olsen] Brossman)

 

 

 

 

 

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Burra Bazaar

 

 

          _____Pictures of 1940s Calcutta________________________

 

Calcutta business scene on a street northwest of Dalhousie Square

Glenn Hensley, Photography Technician with US Army Airforce, Summer 1944

 

 (source: Glenn S. Hensley: Calcutta business scene, B025, " Calcutta business scene on a street northwest of Dalhousie Square, Calcutta"  seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a  series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)

 

 (COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)

 

 

Calcutta's central business district

Glenn Hensley, Photography Technician with US Army Airforce, Summer 1944

 

 (source: Glenn S. Hensley: Calcutta's central business district, B003, Activity in area primarily south of Calcutta's central business district.   seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a  series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)

 

 (COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)

 

 

 

Activity along what is today, I think, R. N. Mukharji Street.

Glenn Hensley, Photography Technician with US Army Airforce, Summer 1944

 

 (source: Glenn S. Hensley: Street activity, C006, "Activity along what is today, I think, R. N. Mukharji Street. Anyway, it is in that vicinity"  seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a  series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)

 

 (COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)

 

 

 

Billboards

05

A bewildering mass of billboards at the corner of Harrison Street (Burra Bazar) and Strand Road.  One of the oldest sections of Calcutta, at the foot of Howrah Bridge, it is a fine vantage point for photographing the passing parade of oddly dressed natives and curious vehicles.

Clyde Waddell, US military man, personal press photographer of Lord Louis Mountbatten, and news photographer on Phoenix magazine. Calcutta, mid 1940s

(source: webpage http://oldsite.library.upenn.edu/etext/sasia/calcutta1947/?  Monday, 16-Jun-2003 / Reproduced by courtesy of David N. Nelson, South Asia Bibliographer, Van Pelt Library, University of Pennsylvania)

 

 

 

          _____Contemporary Records of or about 1940s Calcutta___

 

THE ARMENIAN HOLY CHURCH OF NAZARETH

Admission :—Open daily from 5-30 a.m. to 6-30 p.m.

Services:Sundays—Matins 7 a.m. High Mass, Sermon and Holy Communion 8-30 a.m.

Evensong (at St. Gregory's Chapel, Park Circus) 5-30 p.m.

Saturdays—Matins 6 a.m. High Mass and Holy Communion 7 a.m. Evensong 5-30 p.m.

Other Weekdays—Matins 5-30 a.m. Evensong 5-30 p.m.

Having the distinction of being the oldest church in Calcutta, this sacred edifice was erected in 1724 by public subscription, through the praiseworthy efforts of Agha Nazar, on the site of an old Armenian cemetery, after the design of Leon Govond, an Armenian architect from Persia.

The church is centrally situated in the business quarter of the city, and is reached from Lower Chitpore Road by way of Armenian Street, from Clive Row by way of Old China Bazar Street, and from Clive Street by way of Bonfield Lane. The last-named route leads right to the centre gate.

There are three gates to the church, one at No. 2 Armenian Street, another at No. 119 Old China Bazar Street and the third at the Kangrapatty end of Old China Bazar Street. Entering by the last-named gate, we step on to a boarded footpath.  A covered passage leads the way to the vestibule, directly upon which is reared the steeple, accommodating the clock tower and the belfry. A copper plate, high above the entrance to the vestibule, records that the steeple, which was presented by Agha Manuel Hazarmull, was erected in 1734, but it was not until 1792 that it was adorned with a handsome, three-dialled clock, through the generosity of Agha Catchick Arrakiel.

The floor of the vestibule, as well as that of the churchyard, is closely paved with tombstones, most of which are inscribed in Armenian, many in English and Armenian and a few in English only. To the left of the vestibule, detached from the church, is the Parochial-building, on the ground floor of which is located the Vestry Office, where the Committee members hold their meetings and the Wardens of the church attend to their responsible duties.

From the vestibule we enter the church, paved with marble. On the left is a circular staircase leading to the gallery overhead, generally used by the College boys, and let into the walls are tablets commemorating benefactors. The two tablets, similiar in design, on either side of the altar, are erected, one to the memory of Thaddeus Mesrope Thaddeus (1856-1927) and the other as a tribute to Sir Paul Catchick Chater, in appreciation of their munificent donations.

The main aisle leads between massive fluted pillars and polished pews to the Chancel, on the right of which is the organ and in the middle the choir. On the east, from the centre of the Sanctuary, rises the Holy Altar, impressive in the majestic simplicity of its design, and adorned with a Cross, Gospels and Twelve Candlesticks, symbolic of the Divine Lord and His Apostles. The Altarpiece, consisting of three oil paintings by A. E. Harris, representing "The Holy Trinity", "The Lord's Supper" and "The Enshrouding of Our Lord", was presented in 1901, in loving memory of Carapiet and Hossanah Balthazar by their children. The side altars over the sacristies were erected in 1763 and dedicated, one to St. Gregory the Illuminator, and the other to the Apostles Peter and Paul, in memory of their namesakes the brothers Agha Kerikore and Agha Petrus, the sons of Aratoon of old Eravan.

A door from the sacristy beneath the altar of the Apostles Peter and Paul, leads to the Baptistery, to which access can also be gained from the churchyard.

A brief history of the origin of the Armenians and their religion will be of interest here.

THE ORIGIN:—The founder of the Armenian nation was Haik, fourth in direct descent from Noah. The genealogical tree is as follows—Noah, Japhet, Gomer, Togarmah (Genesis X. 1,2,3.). Haik was the son of Togarmah; he founded the Haikaznian dynasty in 2111 B. C. and to this day the people in their language are called Hai and the country Hayastan after him. After Aram, the greatest warrior of the dynasty, who by his conquests became a terror to the neighbouring states these ancient people came to be called Aramians—Armenians, and their country Armenia, names surviving to the present day. This dynasty was overthrown by Alexander the Great in 332 B.C., and it was not until 15C B.C. that Arshack I founded the Arshakoonian dynasty The year 428 A.D., marked the fall of this dynasty, when the country was handed over to Bahram, the Persian King

In 859 A. D. Ashot I founded the Pacratoonian dynasty, which held sway till 1079, when it came to an end through treachery, and the country passed under Grecian rule. The following year, 1080 A.D., Ruben 1. founded the Rubenian dynasty, which was overthrown in 1373 by the Ameer of Egypt, who made the then reigning king, Leon VI, a prisoner.

After seven years captivity, King Leon was released through the mediation of King John of Spain. He then travelled through Europe, visiting Pope Urban VI, King John of Spain, Charles VI of France, Richard II of England and others, with the view to regaining his throne. His efforts met with no success, and he died broken-hearted in France, and was buried in the cemetery of St. Dennis near Paris. A tombstone covering his remains bears the following inscription in French :—

"Here lies the most noble and excellent Prince Leon of Lusignan, Sixth Latin King of the Kingdom of Armenia, who rendered his soul to God in Paris on the 29th of November, in the year of Grace 1393."

After the fall of the Rubenian dynasty, the history of die Armenians is one long record of appalling horrors. The Egyptians, the Tartars, the Persians and the Turks in turn massacred the people and devastated their country. In 1914, on the outbreak of the Great War, the Armenians rallied together, fought on the side of the Allies and in May 1918, once again set up the self-governing state of Armenia.

THEIR RELIGION:—The Armenians claim to be the first nation to have embraced Christianity. In the Gospel of St. John, Chapter XII, Verses 20, 21, we read:—

" And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast; The same came therefore to Philip which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus."

According to history, these were messengers from King Apcar of Armenia. During a visit to Persia, King Apcar had contracted leprosy, which disease physicians were unable to cure. Hearing of the wonderful miracles performed by Jesus, he sent messengers with a letter, expressing his belief in Jesus' Divinity and inviting Him to Armenia. One of these messengers was an artist who had instructions to draw Jesus portrait, but as, after repeated attempts, he failed to outline the Divine features, Jesus called for a napkin* which He held against His face and miraculously impressed His likeness on it, and this He made over to the messengers together with a letter beginning—

"Blessed is he who believes in Me without seeing Me, for it is written of Me that they that see Me shall not believe and they that have not seen Me shall believe and be saved,"

In 34 A. D. the Apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew arrived in Armenia, preached the Gospel and converted the people. After the death of King Apcar, however, his descendants reverted to idolatry and persecuted the Christians.

At the close of the 3rd century A. D., when Constantine the Great embraced and introduced Christianity into his Empire, afterwards the Eastern Empire, St. Gregory the Illuminator, with King Terdat of Armenia, revived Christianity throughout the country, and the people have ever since clung to their faith, despite the horrors of massacres and persecutions.

* Records show that this priceless relic was kept in Edessa, then the capital of Armenia, till 944, when it was removed to Constantinople by the Emperor Romanus of Greece, and in the 14th century transferred to Genoa, Italy, where it is said to be preserved to this day

The Armenian Church is known as the Apostolic Holy Church of Armenia.  The Catholicos of All Armenians has his Holy See in Edgmiatzin—about several miles from Eravan, the capital of Armenia — built in  about 300 A.D.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source pages 129-133 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

Harrison Road, formerly Central Road

Directly opposite the bridge is Harrison Road, formerly Central Road, running eastwards and joining Upper Circular Road in front of the Eastern Bengal Railway Station at Sealdah. The western portion of Harrison Road, between Strand Road and Chitpore Road, is definitely the busiest: thoroughfare of Norhtern Calcutta. Most of the buildings here are of ancient architecture and in close proximity to one another. This locality with its lanes and by-lanes is known as Burra Bazar (Great Market), the centre of the piecegoods trade.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 8 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

Canning Street

At the entrance to Canning Street, immediately on the left, is Mohta House, tenanted by a large number of Commercial firms. Crossing Clive Street we have on the left Commercial House, a large and conspicuous building housing the Punjab National Bank, Havero Trading Company, the Indian Chamber of Commerce, Comilla Banking Corporation, Nippon Trade Agency (formerly Indo-Japanese Commercial Museum), Osaka Syosen Kaisya (The Osaka Mercantile Steamship Co., Ltd), and several other business firms.

We now cross Clive Row and note on the left Jackson Lane leading to Synagogue Street, while on the right, at No. 22, Canning Street, are the offices of the Krupp Trading Company, the Royal Norwegian Consulate. the Muslim Chamber of Commerce, and many other business houses.

Crossing Old China Bazar Street, the centre of the china and glass trade and proceeding, we have on the right Sukeas Lane and then David Joseph I.ane; on the left is the Maghen David Synagogue, […]

Just a few steps higher up is Portuguese Church Street (Murghihatta)leading past Synagogue Street and the Roman Catholic Cathedral to Armenian Street and a little way along (right) is Pollock Street, leading to Radha Bazar Street, and higher up is Ezra Street, the centre of the electrical goods trade. Facing Ezra Street is Amratola Street, distributing centre of the spice trade.

The eastern half of Canning Street, from Old China Bazar Street to Colootola Street, has in recent years developed into a great business centre, wholesale and retail, dealing chiefly with. such goods as hosiery, stationery, haberdashery, toys. toilet requisites, perfumery. glass bangles, etc., mostly of Japanese manufacture.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 13-14 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

Maghen David Synagogue

on the left is the Maghen David Synagogue, a stately building in the Italian Renaissance style of architecture, with a lofty steeple adorned with an actractive four-dialed clock. It was erected on the site of an earlier structure by the noted philanthropist Elias David Joseph Ezra (1830-1886).

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 13 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

ROMAN CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL

ROMAN CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL : It stands in Portugese Church Street, north of Clive Street. It was built in 1797 on the site of the church the Portugese built in Calcutta when they first came here.

(source: “A Guide Book to Calcutta, Agra, Delhi, Karachi and Bombay” The American Red Cross and the China-Burma-India-Command. [1943]:  at: http://cbi-theater-2.home.comcast.net/redcross/red-cross-india.html#INDIA)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with the original submitter/author)

 

 

 

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Clive Street

 

 

          _____Pictures of 1940s Calcutta________________________

 

Calcutta Stock Exchange

34

Street scene outside the Calcutta stock exchange.  The noise is similar to the bedlam in all word exchange and many transactions (unofficial) take place in the street as shown here.

Clyde Waddell, US military man, personal press photographer of Lord Louis Mountbatten, and news photographer on Phoenix magazine. Calcutta, mid 1940s

(source: webpage http://oldsite.library.upenn.edu/etext/sasia/calcutta1947/?  Monday, 16-Jun-2003 / Reproduced by courtesy of David N. Nelson, South Asia Bibliographer, Van Pelt Library, University of Pennsylvania)

 

Capt. James Slattery and Maj. Daniel Rogers at "black hole" of Calcutta

Seymour Balkin, USAAF 40th Bombergroup. Calcutta, 1944

(source: webpage http://40thbombgroup.org/indiapics2.html  Monday, 03-Jun-2003 / Reproduced by courtesy of Seymour Balkin)

 

 

 

Blast walls

Blast walls show as well as the hand-spattered paint on building walls, an attempt to tone down their brightness during black-out periods. This is in Calcutta's central business district, but I do not know the name of the buildings or the exact . The evidence of an accidental fire still shows on the ground level of the tallest structure.

Glenn Hensley, Photography Technician with US Army Airforce, Summer 1944

 

 (source: Glenn S. Hensley: Blast walls, C020, "Blast walls show as well as the hand-spattered paint on building walls, an attempt to tone down their brightness during black-out periods. This is in Calcutta's central business district, but I do not know the name of the buildings or the exact . The evidence of an accidental fire still shows on the ground level of the tallest structure."  seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a  series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)

 

 (COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)

 

 

 

 

Intersection in Calcutta. a Pontiac waiting

Robert Sanders , USAAF 40th Bombergroup. Calcutta, 1945

(source: webpage http://40thbombgroup.org/indiapics2.html  Monday, 03-Jun-2003 / Reproduced by courtesy of Bob Sanders)

 

 

 

 

 

          _____Contemporary Records of or about 1940s Calcutta___

 

Clive Street the "Wall Street of the East"

Retracing our steps and passing through Clive Ghat Street, we find ourselves in Clive Street, which runs from Charnock Place (Dalhousie Square) across Canning Street and Harrison Road to Darmaharta Street. The northern half of Clive Street is occupied mostly by dealers in hardware and medical stores ; the southern half. lined with imposing modern buildings is the centre of the commercial and financial activities of the city and can readily be designated as the "Wall Street of the East".

At the corner of Clive Ghat Street and Clive Street is the stately building of the Central Bank of India. Ltd., on the upper floors of which are the offices of the Tata Iron and Steel Co. Ltd., Mitsui Bussan Kaisha Ltd., and other commercial firms. Directly opposite the Central Bank at No. 11 Clive Street, is the building of The Planters' Stores & Agency Co. Ltd., housing Landale and Clark Ltd., and other firms. Next, at No. 10, is the building of Worthington Simpson Ltd. Engineers, accommodating William Jacks &. Co., A. & J. Main & Co. Ltd., the office of the American Trade Corn mils; oner and many other mercantile firms. Adjoining it and facing south, is Graham Building, giving accommodation to the Eastern Bank Ltd., the Bank of India Ltd., the Federal Union Insurance Co. Ltd. and the Bank Line Ltd., (formerly Andrew Weir & Co.)

By the side of Graham Building is Clive Row, running across Canning Street and rejoining Clive Street at No. 14. At No. 2 Clive Row is the Oriental Government Security Life Assurance Building, where are the offices of Nippon Yusen Kaisha (Japan Mail Steamship Co. Ltd.), the Bengal Bank Ltd., the Angus Co. Ltd., Thomas Duff & Co. Ltd., and several other firms. Jardine Skinner & Co. Merchants and Shipping Agents, are at No. 4; John Dickinson &. Co. Ltd. at No. 6, and Andrew Yule & Co. Ltd. at No. 8.

Back to the point where we entered Clive Street, we have on the right, Duncan Brothers' building. No. 101, accommodating E. D. Sassoon & Co. Ltd., and Roberts, McLean &. Co. Ltd. Adjoining it is the North British Building, on the upper floor or which are the offices of George Henderson & Co. Ltd., and the North British and Mercantile Insurance Co. Ltd.. the ground floor being occupied by Lloyds Bank Ltd. Then comes in succession, the East Bengal Bank, the Yokohama Specie Bank, the Continental Bank of Asia, the Calcutta Safe Deposit Co. Ltd., and immediately after, the Bengal Bonded Warehouse, alongside which is a gate giving access to the Commercial Building blocks. Next is Balmer Lawrie & Co. Ltd.

On the other side, across the thorough fare at No. 8, is Gillanders Arbuthnot & Cos Clive Buildings, the largest in Clive Street, housing the Imperial Bank of India (Clive Street Branch), the Mercantile Bank of India. Lionel Edwards & Co., the Prudential Assurance Co. Ltd., and several other business firms. A few stops lower down is the South British Insurance Co's buildings, accommodating the National City Bank of New York and the Board of Trustees for the improvement of Calcutta.

We now come to the Royal Exchange, built on the site of the New Oriental Bank Corporation, which was purchased by the Chamber of Commerce in 1893.

[…]

To the east of the Royal Exchange Building, in Royal Exchange Place, is Law Building, the ground floor of which is occupied by the Netherlands Trading Society, and the upper floor by Biria Brothers. Ltd. Next is the Allahabad Bank Building, housing Sinclair Murray &. Co, the European Association, and the European Group Corporation. The Jute Balers' Association (1909) is at No. 5, by the side of which runs Swallow Lane leading to Old China Bazar Street. The East India Jute Association Ltd. is at No. 2, on the upper floor of which are housed a large number of offices, including those of the National Chamber of Commerce and Calcutta Brokers Limited. At No. 1, is the Netherlands India Commercial Bank, the Great Eastern Life Assurance Co. Ltd., Francis Klein &. Co. Ltd., and others.

The imposing building at No. 2, Clive Street is that of the Chartered Bank, erected in 1908 by Martin & Co. at a cost of Rs. 9,62,000/-. The upper floors of this building are occupied by Bird & Co. and F. W. Heilgers & Co (entrances from Royal Exchange Place). Passing James Finlay & Co. we turn left into Lyons Range which leads to Dalhousie Square.

In Lyons Range, on the right, are the rear entrances of the Bengal Secretariat; on the left. at the corner of Royal Exchange Place and Lyons Range, stands the stately building of the Calcutta Stock Exchange.

[…]

Higher up, at No- 6, Lyons Range, is Turner Morrison's building, where Graham's Trading Co. (India) Ltd., Place, Siddons &. Gough, and the Norwich Union Life Assurance Society (1803) have their offices. Adjoining Turner Morrison's is Sassoon House, which ranks among the loftiest buildings in Calcutta and accommodates a large number of business firms. A little further on is Old Court House Lane leading to Radha Bazar Street.

Finding ourselves once more in Clive Street, in front of the Chartered Bank, we have Fairlie Place across the road. At the corner of Fairlie Place and Clive Street is the imposing building of the National Bank of India, crowned with a lofty tower of Gothic architecture, and accommodating on its upper floors Hoare Miller & Co. Ltd. and the Calcutta Football Club (entrances from Fairlie Place). Alongside, at No. 4, is Fairlie House, Kilburn & Co's building. housing Gladstone Wyllie & Co., Lyall Marshall & Co.. the Senior British Trade Commissioner, John Thompson Ltd., Lloyds Agency and The Aluminium Manufacturing Co. Ltd. Adjoining Fairlie House is Mackinnon Mackenzie & Co's building.

The whole of the southern side of Fairlie Place is occupied by the Head Offices of the East Indian Railway Company (main entrance at 105. Clive Street). By the side of East Indian Railway House is the Custom House, a large building extending in depth from Clive Street to Strand Road. Immediately to the west of the main entrance, formerly extended a range of buildings where the East India Company's Writers were housed.

This was known as 'Long Row' and divided the Old Fore into two sections.

1John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 14-18 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

Royal Exchange & Chamber of Commerce

We now come to the Royal Exchange, built on the site of the New Oriental Bank Corporation, which was purchased by the Chamber of Commerce in 1893. Designed by T. S. Gregson of Messrs Gregson, Batley &. King (Architects), Bombay, the foundation stone was laid in 1916 by Lord Carmichael and the structure, of Grecian architecture, erected by J. C. Bannerjee &. Co., of Calcutta, at a cost of Rs. 5,00,000/-, completed and formally opened in 1918 by Lord Ronaldshay. A bronze tablet at die main entrance of the new Royal Exchange, presented by Mr. John D. Nimmo Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce in 1905, records that the building was erected on the site of the Town House' of Sir Philip Francis, Member of Council, 1774-1780. Tradition says that the site was occupied by a house in which Lord Clive once lived and from which the street derives its name. The Upper floors of the building are occupied by the Bengal Chamber of Commerce, founded in 1834 and registered with a declared membership of 300. The Chamber was organised in 1853; its main activities involve the promoting of Indian business and encouraging friendly feelings among business men. The Chamber maintains a tribunal of arbitration for settlement of trade disputes and a Licensed Measurers' Department under a special Committee.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 16 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

Calcutta Stock Exchange

In Lyons Range, on the right, are the rear entrances of the Bengal Secretariat; on the left. at the corner of Royal Exchange Place and Lyons Range, stands the stately building of the Calcutta Stock Exchange. constructed by Mackintosh Burn Ltd., at a cost of Rs. 4,11,000/-, and completed and formally opened in 1928 by Sir Stanley Jackson, then Governor of Bengal.

Although business in stocks and shares in Calcutta can he traced back as far as 1885, yet an organised Association, under the name of the Calcutta Stock Exchange Association, was formed only in 1908. It was registered as a limited company in 1923, with its registered offices at No. 2, Royal Exchange Place, and was shifted to its present address at No. 7, Lyons Range in 1927.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 17 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

 

 

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Dalhousie Sqr.

 

 

 

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American Red Cross Burra Club

08

The American Red Cross Burra Club, leave center for GI's and recreation spot for all enlisted men. The unpretentious facade belies an interior complete with dormitory, snack bar, restaurant, music room games room, lounge, barber and tailor shops, wrapping service department and post exchange.

Clyde Waddell, US military man, personal press photographer of Lord Louis Mountbatten, and news photographer on Phoenix magazine. Calcutta, mid 1940s

(source: webpage http://oldsite.library.upenn.edu/etext/sasia/calcutta1947/?  Monday, 16-Jun-2003 / Reproduced by courtesy of David N. Nelson, South Asia Bibliographer, Van Pelt Library, University of Pennsylvania)

 

Northwest corner of Dalhousie Square at intersection of today's Lal Bazaar St. and East Old Courthouse Street 

Glenn Hensley, Photography Technician with US Army Airforce, Summer 1944

 

 (source: Glenn S. Hensley: Dalhousie Square, C004, Northwest corner of Dalhousie Square at intersection of today's Lal Bazaar St. and East Old Courthouse Street  seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a  series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)

 

 (COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)

 

 

Red Cross Club

Glenn Hensley, Photography Technician with US Army Airforce, Summer 1944

 

 (source: Glenn S. Hensley: Red Cross Club, C005, "North along today's Old Courthouse  Street. At left is Dalhousie Square.  Building at right with American Flag was  the American Red Cross club for American servicemen. Church at left is on today's Lal Bazaar Street."  seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a  series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)

 

 (COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)

 

 

Government House

Glenn Hensley, Photography Technician with US Army Airforce, Summer 1944

 

 (source: Glenn S. Hensley: Government House, C011, Government House (today's Raj Bhavan.) Gate on side toward Dalhousie Square.  seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a  series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)

 

 (COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)

 

 

Calcutta Post Office seen across Dalhousie Square

Glenn Hensley, Photography Technician with US Army Airforce, Summer 1944

 

 (source: Glenn S. Hensley: Post Office, C015, Calcutta Post Office seen across Dalhousie Square from today's Brabourne Road (Opposite old No. 8 Dalhousie Square)  seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a  series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)

 

 (COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)

 

 

 

 

          _____Contemporary Records of or about 1940s Calcutta___

 

 

Charnock Place

We now enter Charnock Place. Immediately on our right is a red brick building known as the Collectorate, accommodating the offices of the Collector of Stamps, Excise and Land Revenue, Calcutta, the Commissioner of Revenue and Circuit, Presidency Division, and the Public Health Department, Engineering Branch.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 8 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

Holwell Monument

On the left, in the centre of the roadway, stands the white marble Holwell Monument, erected in 1902 by Lord Curzon, (Viceroy 1899-1905) to die memory of the 123 persons who perished in the Black Hole Prison of Old Fort William on the night of the 20th. June, 1756. To the south of the Collectorate, within the iron gateway of the General Post Office, is the railed pavement of black marble marking the site of the Black Hole. Next comes the General Post Office, which, with its lofty silvery dome, forms the most prominent landmark in Dalhousie Square (West): by the side runs Koila Ghat Street leading to Strand Road.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 18 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

Bankshall Street

At the Junction of Koila Ghat Street and Strand Road, is the Port Commissioners' building; while the southern side of Koila Ghat Street, from Strand Road to Bankshall Street, is occupied by the Head Offices of the Eastern, Bengal Railway. On the western side of Bankshall Street, which leads to Hare Street, are the Presidency Police Court and the Presidency Civil Small Causes Court. On the other side of the thoroughfare stands Shaw Wallace &. Co.’s building, erected in 1909, housing Babcock & Wilcox Ltd., Cox &. Kings (Agents) Ltd., and others.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 19 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

Dalhousie Square (West)

The red brick structure at the corner of Koila Ghat Street and Dalhousie Square (West) is that of the Royal Insurance Company Ltd., accommodating Sandersons &. Morgans (Solicitors), and the Manufacturers' Life Assurance Company of Canada (1887). Adjoining is McLeod House,. housing the Phoenix Assurance Company Ltd., and the Empire of India Assurance Company Ltd.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 19 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

THE GENERAL POST OFFICE

Trams :—Within reach of all trams, except Kidderpore, Alipore and Behala.

Buses :—2A, 3A, 4A, 5, 8, 8A, 13, 14.

Across the placid waters of a miniature lake in Dalhousie Square stands the General Post Office, occupying the corner of Koilaghat Street and Dalhousie Square West, Its majestic dome and graceful pillars, crowned by Corinthian capitals, give it a dignified appearance worthy of one of the more important public utility services. The eastern facade is adorned by a large illuminated clock with four dials, three of which are visible from outside; of these, two indicate Calcutta Local Time, and the third, facing south, Indian Standard Time.

Built from the design of Mr. Walter Granville, Architect to the Government of India, the General Post Office was erected in 1864 on the site of the southern wing of Old Fort William, at a cost of Rs. 6,50,000/- and opened to the public in 1868. The General Post Office today is, beyond all doubt, the best organised and most up-to-date in the East.

There is much that is profoundly interesting to the visitor in the General Post Office and the buildings that adjoin it on the north, viz. the Collectorate, the Customs House and the East Indian Railway House. These four buildings, taken together, cover the site of Old Fort William, which took 14 years to build, and was in flames during the siege of Calcutta in 1756. Affixed to the walls are marble tablets descriptive of outstanding historical events, and brass lines let into pavements and courtyards, define the boundaries of the vanished stronghold.

Ascending the broad flight of steps we enter the rotunda, in the centre of which is a circular counter where stamps are on sale from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays and holidays. In the rotunda are also located the Enquiry Office, the Poste Restante, a counter for the sale of stamps to the value of Rs. 100/- and upwards, separate boxes for inland letters and packets, foreign letters and packets, registered newspapers, and the airmail letterbox.

A passage to the right of the rotunda leads to the northern wing of the building, to which access can also be gained from the main road; here directly in front are the post-boxes for local letters and packets, and inside, the inland registration and insurance departments. Staircases at either end lead to the private post-boxes on the upper floor.

A passage to the left of the rotunda leans to the southern wing of the building, where the inland parcel, money order, telegraphic money order, postal order, and savings bank departments are located; while on the upper floor are the departments dealing with foreign registered letters, Customs assessments and foreign parcel delivery.

A descent by a short flight of steps from this wing brings us to Koilaghat Street. Turning and entering the gate immediately on the right, you are confronted by a four-storeyed building, on the first floor of which is the window delivery of inland parcels, and on the second floor the window delivery of inland registered and insured letters.

The red brick building on the left accommodates the office of the Presidency Postmaster, and adjoining it is the office of the Accountant-General, Posts and Telegraphs (entrance from Koilaghat Street). The office of the Postmaster-General, Bengal and Assam, is at No. 1 Council House Street.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 19 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

Hare Street and Church Lane

At the south-west corner of Dalhousie Square is Hare Street. The lofty building immediately on the left, next to the new Secretariat, is the Central Telephone Exchange; adjoining is Alien House, housing Reuters, the Eastern News Agency Ltd., the Associated Press of India, Insurance Companies, and the Bengal Labour Welfare League.  By the side of Alien House runs Garstin Place, a cul-de-sac, at No. 1 of which is the All-India Radio Offices and Studios and at numbers 3 and 4. the offices of Briggs & Co., the well known analytical and consulting chemists.

Higher up Hare Street is Church Lane. At No. 3, Church Lane is the Government of India Central Stationery Office and at No. 6, Grindlay &. Co. Ltd. (Bankers and Agents).

At the corner of Hare Street and Church Lane is Ezra Terrace, built on the site where once stood the residence of David Hare. In Ezra Terrace are the offices of the Calcutta Tramways Co. Ltd. Begg Dunlop & Co. Ltd. and the Indian Tea Market Expansion Board, generally known as the Indian Tea Cess Committee.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 19 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

THE BENGAL TELEPHONE CORPORATION

The telephone is so widely used today in almost every department of life, that we have come to take it for granted and consider it just a bare fitting to be installed as a matter of course. If we but pause to dwell on the subject, we cannot but marvel at the ingenuity of its inventor, and the way the telephone has developed in a scant sixty years. On its inception it boasted a handful of venturesome subscribers, while today telephones are numbered in their thousands in all important cities of the world.

The pioneer of the telephone was Professor Graham Bell of the United States of America; in 1877 he perfected his invention, and succeeded in transmitting sound over a length of wire. The following year he crossed over to England, and demonstrated the practicability of his invention.  Official circles, however, were sceptical, and it was left to private enterprise to make the telephone what it is today.

The first page in telephone history was written in 1878, when an exchange was opened in America. A year later London followed suit; but it was not until 1883 that the first telephone exchange was opened in Calcutta, with an initial total of 121 subscribers. Progress was slow at the start; it took seven years to raise the figure to 437, and another ten years to 821. Howrah was connected in 1884 and Budge-Budge in 1892.

During the Great War the progress of the telephone suffered a setback owing to Government restrictions. When these were removed, however, subscribers joined in ever-increasing numbers, till a total of approximately 15,000 was reached in 1937 ; this number is today nearing 20,000. 

In 1921 the Telephone Corporation opened the Central Exchange at No. 8 Hare Street with an ultimate capacity for 10,000 lines, and later, with a view to relieving pressure on the Central Exchange and to speed up the service, two exchanges were opened in 1924, one in north Calcutta, known as "Burra Bazar" and the other in south Calcutta, called "South," while yet another exchange was opened in 1929 in Park Circus, known as "Park." Today there are six exchanges spread over the city with a total of 250 operators.

The amazing development in the Trunk Telephone System has brought the farthest cNoorners of India within easy reach of subscribers, whilst the Overseas Telephone Service has made it possible for one to converse with a subscriber in almost any part of the world.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source pages  73-74 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

ALL INDIA RADIO

The pioneer of wireless transmission was that gifted genius Signor Marconi. In May 1897 he made his first successful experiment across the length of a billiard table in a hotel in the Isle of Wight. This was followed by demonstrations in Italy two months later, when communication was established between an Italian cruiser and the shore.

The far-reaching possibilities of this invention, the greatest of the day, were quickly realized by the British Post Office, and before long the Admirality and large shipping concerns, showed their practical interest in this wonderful method of communication. In 1901, only a year after the formation of the Marconi International Marine Communication Company, the first British ship was fitted with wireless: today a world total of no less than 15,000 ships are so equipped, including 4,000 British vessels.

When the British India Steam Navigation Company decided to fit their fleet of ships on the Indian coast with wireless, the Marconi Marine Company in 1912 established an office in Hastings Street, Calcutta, for that purpose;

by 1918, however, larger accommodation became necessary, and the Company moved to Temple Chambers. It will be of interest to note that   the first broadcasting transmitter, known as 5 A.F., was installed here in 1923.

In 1927, the Indian Broadcasting Company was formed, and erected Broadcasting Stations at Bombay and Calcutta; this company was later taken over by the Government, who have re-organised the service and are responsible for the fine quality and variety of the programmes provided.

Today wireless plays a large part in the world's activities; it is used for entertainment, advertising and propaganda.

A few yards down Hare Street are the offices of the

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source pages 74-75 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

CALCUTTA TRAMWAYS COMPANY

The Calcutta Tramways Company was formed in 1879, following an agreement with the Calcutta Corporation. The gauge of the original tram lines was only 3 feet 3/8 inches, and passengers were carried by means of horse trams, except on the Kidderpore line, and for a short time on Chowringhee Road, where steam tractors were used.

This continued till 1902 when, under a fresh agreement with the Calcutta Corporation, the Tramways Company widened their gauge to 4 feet 8 ½ inches and ran their trams by electric power. By 1908, they had extended the service to Alipore, Behala, Tollygunge. Baghbazar, Belgatchia, Harrison Road and Lower Circular Road, and had also inaugurated the Howrah section.

Further extensions were made to Rajabazar in 1910, to Park Circus in 1925 and to Ballygunge in 1928, and Government Sanction has now been obtained for the extension of the tramway track from Rajabazar on Upper Circular Road to Shambazar. A scheme to extend the service from Park Circus along Syed Ameer Alt Avenue, Old Ballygunge Road and Gariahat Road to the Dhakuria Lakes, has been under consideration for some time.

The number of tramcars in daily use in Calcutta is estimated at 300, including 6 composite and 115 articulated cars, which are second to none in the world. A further 30 articulated cars will take the road shortly. This improvement in rolling stock has been effected by the Calcutta Tramways Company at very considerable expense, but the travelling public's appreciation of the Company's efforts in their service, is proving beyond doubt the popularity of the Tramways as an important utility service.

The Company operates approximately 40 miles of double track and employs a staff of about 7000, out of which over 6000 are Indians. The number of passengers carried in 1886 was 8, 599,799: in 1902, 15,048,273 while in 1930 the number had increased' to 80,000,000 and in 1937 to over 103,000,000.

The Company offers the following concessions:

Monthly Tram Tickets, Rail-cum-Tram Tickets, Six-annas All-Day Tickets on holidays and Sundays, and Cheap Midday fares on weekdays, except Saturdays and holidays.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 20-21 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

south-west corner of Dalhousie Square

At the south-west corner of Dalhousie Square is Council House Street. The handsome building of Grecian architecture immediately on the right, is the New Secretariat, housing the offices or the Administrator-General of Bengal, the Official Trustee, the Director-General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics, the Chief Mining Engineer and the Postmaster-General of Bengal and Assam; also the Commercial Library. Across the thoroughfare, on the left, is the striking building of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, erected in 1922 by Martin & Co.. at a cost of Rs. 12 lakhs (main entrance ar No. 31, Dalhousie Square). On the upper floors of this building are the offices of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (India) Ltd. the Burmah Shell Oil Co. Ltd. and the Asiatic Petroleum Co. (India) Ltd. Next to the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, in Council House Street, is the building of the former Alliance Bank of Simla (in liquidation), now  occupied by the Reserve Bank of India.

The Reserve Bank of India is constituted by Government for the purpose of taking over the management of the currency and of carrying on the business of banking in accordance with the provision of the Act dated 6th March, 1934, of the Indian Legislature. Adjoining this is the building of the National Insurance Company, Ltd. accommodating Guest, Keen, Williams, Ltd. and the Department of Industries, Bengal; by the side runs Fancy Lane. Farther down, at No. 5. are the offices of the Gouvernment Boiler Inspector Department, the Factory Inspector Department and the Labour Commissioner and Registrar of Trade Unions Bengal; also the head office of Lipton Limited, founded by Sir Thomas Lipton, the founder of Alexandra Trust, a restaurant on semi-philanthropic lines for the poor, in City Road, London. The building next to the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation in Dalhousie Square (South) is that of the Standard Life Assurance Co., accommodating Orr Dignam & Co. (Solicitors) and others. Alongside is Vansittart Row and a little higher up Wellesley Place.

At the left corner of Wellesley Place stands the stately building of the Central Telegraph Office, open day and night for the despatch of express telegrams, and from 8-30 A.M. to 9-30 P.M. daily (except on Sundays and holidays) for ordinary telegrams. At No. 3, Wellesley Place are the offices of the "Star of India" (a Calcutta Evening Newspaper). The building with the lofty tower at the comer of Dalhousie Square and Old Court House Street, formerly the Central Telegraph Office, now houses the Dead Letter Office and other Telegraph Departments.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 20-21 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

THE DALHOUSIE INSTITUTE

This Institute, situated on the south side of Dalhousie Square, was originally constructed as a Monumental Hall to accommodate busts and statues of great men associated with the history of British India, as well as to provide a .resort for mental improvement and social intercourse for all classes.

The building was designed by Walter Granville, and the foundation stone laid with Masonic ceremony in 1865 by the Hon'ble Cecil Beadon, Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, assisted by H. D. Sandeman, Provincial Grand Master, in the presence of Sir John Lawrence, Governor-General of India (1864-69). The cost of its construction was met partly by public subscription and partly from funds raised to commemorate the heroic deeds of those who distinguished themselves in the mutiny of 1857.

The Institute has a large hall measuring 90 ft. by 45ft., with marble-faced walls and a lofty, richly-carved ceiling. A brass plate affixed to the wall, commemorates John Renfrew, with whom the idea of erecting this memorial hall originated and through whose efforts the Institute was built. The hall for some years fulfilled its original purpose. of commemoration; it is now the Headquarters of  the Dalhousie Club, often used for public functions. The Trades Association is accommodated in the eastern wing of the building.

The only statue in the Institute is that erected to the memory of the Hon'ble James Wilson, Finance Member 1859-60, who introduced Income Tax and Government Paper Currency into the country.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source pages 70-71 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

Dalhousie Square (East)

We now cross the road to Dalhousie Square (East). The handsome, massive structure at the corner is that of the Currency Office, housing the Reserve Bank of India, Issue Department, Calcutta Branch (entrance from Mission Row); alongside runs Mangoe Lane. The imposing seven storeyed building overlooking Dalhousie Park is Stephen House, let out in suites for offices and residential purposes. Thomas Cook &. Son, Ltd. (Bankers and Travel Agents) and Smith Stanistreet &. Co. Ltd. (Chemists and Druggists) are accommodated on the ground floor.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 21 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

Headquarters of the Calcutta Police

The thoroughfare branching off the north-east corner of Dalhousie Square, with Mission Row on the right and Radha Bazar Street on the left, is Lall Bazar Street. The whole of the northern side of this street is occupied by the Headquarters of the Calcutta Police, a commodious up-to-date structure in the Grecian style of architecture, with the facade of the central block, adorned with classical columns and the Royal Coat of Arms.

The Calcutta Police consists of 5645 officers and men, and is rightly considered to be the best organised and most efficient Police Force in the East. The Force comprises the Armed Police,  the Port Police, the Mounted Police, the Motor Cycle Patrols and the Criminal Investigation Department, and has acquired great traditions since its inauguration.  In addition to maintaining law and order and regulating traffic in this large city, made doubly difficult by diverse 'races, creeds, languages and customs, the Police garrison suburban Police outposts.  The Criminal Investigation Department, in particular, has a splendid record of achievement. Another department under the administration of the Commissioner of Police, is the Fire Brigade, that gallant band or men who guard the city from the ravages of one of the greatest elements.  The Brigade is a smooch running, efficient service and consists of a courageous body of 272 fire fighters.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 21-22 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

Mission Row

The building on the left, at the entrance of Mission Row, is that of Martin & Co. (Architects and Builders) and Burn &. Co. (Engineers).  Adjoining it is the Stewart Clarke Hostel for working girls, the Church Missionary Society and the Old Mission Church, founded in 1772 by the Reverend J. Z. Kiernander. Lower down, at No. 8, is J. Thomas & Co. and the Tea Brokers Association Sale Rooms.  A tablet let into the wall at the entrance records that 'General Clavering, Member of the Council of Warren Hastings, died here in 1777’. Next comes Mackenzie Lyall & Co. and then the Associated Electrical Industries (India) Ltd.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 22 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

north-east corner of Dalhousie Square

At the north-east corner of Dalhousie Square stands St. Andrew's Church and separated from it by Lyons Range is the Bengal Secretariat, better known as Writers' Building.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 22 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

ST. ANDREW'S CHURCH

Admission :—Open daily from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Services :Sundays—Morning Service 9-30 a.m.  

Sunday School 10-30 a.m.

Evening Service:—(generally broadcast) 6-30 p.m.

Holy Communion :—Third Sunday of February, May, August and November and Easter Sunday at Morning Service.

This imposing edifice of Grecian architecture, built on the site of the old Court House, occupies the northeastern corner of Dalhousie Square. Its tall graceful steeple, accommodating the belfry and clock-tower, surmounted with a glittering weather-cock, is a familiar landmark in the city, and its handsome portico commands a fine vista, down Old Court House Street and Government Place East, to the Maidan.

The foundation stone was laid with Masonic ceremony on St. Andrew's Day in 1815 by Lord Hastings, Governor-General (1813-1823), Lady Hastings, a Scottish Peeress, attending in State. The church, built by Messrs. Burn,Currie and Co., at a cost of Rs. 2,46,000, towards which the Government contributed Rs. 1,00,000 and the site valued at Rs. 30,000, was consecrated on the 8th March 1818 by Dr. James Bryce, the first Scottish Minister in Calcutta. In 1835 the clock was placed in the tower at a cost of Rs. 5,000 and in 1858 the old euharmonic organ was re-placed with a modern one, built by Messrs. Gray and Davison, at a cost of Rs. 10,000.

Ascending a flight of marble steps at the southern entrance, and passing through the beautiful portico supported by solid Doric columns, we enter the vestibule. Here on the walls is a brass plate, to the memory of the Cossipore Artillery Volunteers who fell in the Great War, and a framed letter of greeting from the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, on the occasion of the centenary in 1921 of the Indian Chaplaincy Work.

In the Vestry hang oil paintings of the Rev. Dr. Bryce (1814-1836) and his successor Rev. Dr. ]. Charles (1832-1847) by Sir James W. Gordon; a photograph of the Rev. T. Scott, Chaplain (1900-1906); an engraving of St. Andrews in 1825, and one of Queen Victoria signing the oath for the security of the Church of Scotland.

From the vestibule we enter the church and note the wide centre aisle, leading between solid pillars and highly polished pews to the Communion table; by the side stands the handsome lofty pulpit and nearby is the white marble Baptismal Font.

Staircases on either side lead to the organ loft and the encircling gallery overhead and mural tablets line the walls of the church. The two brass plates one on either side, are to the memory of the officers and men of the 2nd Battalion, the Royal Scots Fusiliers, who died during foreign service (1919-1931); and of the members of the 1st Battalion, the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders, who died in India during the Battalion's tour of foreign service (1919-1934).

In the gallery is a black marble tablet dedicated to the officers and men of the 2nd Battalion, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (1902-1903), and a marble medallion to the memory of Sir John Woodburn, Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal (1898-1902).

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source pages 72-73 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

THE BENGAL SECRETARIAT

Trams :—A1I trams except Park Circus to High Court via Harris Road, and Kidderpore and Alipore lines.

Buses :—2, 3A, 4A, 5, 8, 8A, 13,14.

This imposing edifice of Gothic architecture, occupying the northern side of Dalhousie Square, is still known by its old name of "Writers' Building." The portico above the central entrance is supported by a row of hanssome Ionic pillars, surmounted by the Royal Coat of Arms and a statue of Britannia resplendent in yellow.

The roof displays symbolic figures and four allegorical groups representing Science, Agriculture, Commerce and Justice. The western wing of the structure covers the site of St. Anne's Church, which was erected in 1709 and totally destroyed during the siege of Calcutta in 1756.

Writers' Building, originally consisting of nineteen apartments, was constructed in 1776 for the purpose of providing quarters for the writers of the Hon'ble East India Company ; later it was rented out as offices and private rooms. During the Lieutenant-Governor-ship of Sir Ashley Eden (1877-1882) it was greatly enlarged and improved upon, new blocks were constructed, addtional floors added, the appearance enhanced by the present decorative facade and fantastic roof, and the building, under the name of Bengal Secretariat, became the permanent home for the various departments of the  Bengal Government.

Impatient suitors will find the Marriage Registrater Office conveniently located on the ground floor.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 71 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

Dalhousie Square Park

From the western corner of Writers' Building we cross the road and enter Dalhousie Square Park by the gate at the north-west corner. The Square has many historical associations: in the very early days it was the principal place for promenading, and was first known
as the "Green", later the "Park", then
"Tank Square", and now Dalhousie Square after the Marquess of Dalhousie, Governor-General, 1845-I856. In the centre of the Park is a miniature lake of clear, sweet water, bordered by a broad walk. The lake was dug in about 1770 to provide the inhabitants of Calcutta with drinking wafer.

Along the broad walk on the northern side of the Park is a statue of Sir Ashley Eden, Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, 1877-1882 ; another, an equestrian, by Geo. Frampton of Sir John Woodburn, Lieutenant-Governor, 1898-1902; and a third, by Hamo Thornicroft of Sir Stewart Colvin Bayley, Lieutenant-Governor, 1887-1890. The statue onthe east side is' that of Sir Andrew Fraser. Lieutenant-Governor, 1903-1908. and that on the west side of Sir R. N. Mukerjee, a well-known philanthropise. On the south side of the square stands Dalhousie Institute, and at the south-west comer a seated marble statue with the only word "Darbhanga" inscribed un the pedestal. Four marble fountains installed by Lord Curzon, one at each corner, add to the beauty of the Square.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 22-23 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

 

 

          _____Memories of 1940s Calcutta_______________________

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Old Court House Street

 

 

 

 

          _____Pictures of 1940s Calcutta________________________

 

Sikh boys

46

These Sikh lads have chosen an auspicious stand for their business of selling 'precious' stone to GI's. No more than 12 years old, these boys are shrewd and 'malum' English well enough to trim a sucker every time.

Clyde Waddell, US military man, personal press photographer of Lord Louis Mountbatten, and news photographer on Phoenix magazine. Calcutta, mid 1940s

(source: webpage http://oldsite.library.upenn.edu/etext/sasia/calcutta1947/?  Monday, 16-Jun-2003 / Reproduced by courtesy of David N. Nelson, South Asia Bibliographer, Van Pelt Library, University of Pennsylvania)

 

Buffalo herd

10

This buffalo herd's movements seem to be guided by whim alone and are typical of the complete indifference to traffic control by man and animal alike.  this is Old Court House street, one of Calcutta's busiest.  In left background is Great Eastern Hotel, Calcutta's best, used by U.S. Officers as a billet.

Clyde Waddell, US military man, personal press photographer of Lord Louis Mountbatten, and news photographer on Phoenix magazine. Calcutta, mid 1940s

(source: webpage http://oldsite.library.upenn.edu/etext/sasia/calcutta1947/?  Monday, 16-Jun-2003 / Reproduced by courtesy of David N. Nelson, South Asia Bibliographer, Van Pelt Library, University of Pennsylvania)

 

 

 

 

 

          _____Contemporary Records of or about 1940s Calcutta___

 

Old Court House Street

Making our way out of the park by the south-east gate and crossing the road, we find ourselves in Old Court House Street. On the left we pass Manton &. Co. (Gunmakers), Osler &. Co. (Electrical Engineers), Hamilton, &. Co. Ltd. (Jewellers), James Murray & Co. (Opticians), Ranken & Co. Ltd. (Outfitters), and reach British Indian Street; white on the right we have Octavius Steel & Co. Ltd., the newly erected West End 'Watch Cos' building, Bathgate & Co., Larkin Lane, Cool & Kelvey (Goldsmiths) and Grosvenor House, accommodating Walter Bushnell Ltd. (Opticians), Phelps & Co. (Outfitters), T. E. Bevan & Co. Ltd. (Musical dealers), also a number of other firms, facing Grosvenor House is the Great Eastern Hotel, said to be the most sumptuous and up-to-date hotel in the city. On the southern side ot the hotel is Waterloo Street and facing Waterloo Street is Government Place (North). At No. 5, Government Place (North), are the Provincial Headquarters of the Boy Scouts Association of Bengal, St. John Ambulance Association and Brigade, and the Bengal Provincial Branch, Indian Red Cross Society ; also the offices of the Registrar of Assurances, Leases, etc. of Calcutta.

The imposing building extending from Hastings Street to Esplanade Row (West), formerly the Imperial Secretariat (the Headquarters of the Government of India), is now occupied by the Registrars of Firms and Joint-Stock Companies, Bengal, the Commissioner of Income Tax, Bengal, the Government of India Printing Press, Office, Central Works and Maps Depot and other Government Departments. No. 7, Hastings Street was the town residence of Warren Hastings, Governor-General of Fort William in Bengal (1774-1785).

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 23-24 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

Government Commercial Institute

Lower down is Old Post Office Street, almost wholly occupied by lawyers' offices; facing Old Post Office Street is Church Lane and at No, 11, Hastings Street the Government Commercial Institute.

This Institute is controlled by a Board of Management on which the influential section of the mercantile community is fairly represented.  It conducts Day and Evening classes and there are special arrangements for classes in connection with the training of students for the examinations of the London Institute of Bankers, and those held for the recruitment to the Railway Accounts Service.   The institute follows courses of study carefully prepared under the guidance of the Board, affiliates other commercial institutions in the province, holds its own examinations and grants its own Diplomas.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 24 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

THE COMMERCIAL LIBRARY

Location:—Situated on the upper floor of 1 Council House Street.

Admission:—Free; those below the age of 18 are not admitted.

Open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. Closed on Sundays and holidays.

Established in 1916, this excellent reference library is a boon to those who seek commercial news and statistics. The library contains about 20,000 volumes, dealing with all aspects of Commerce, Industry, Economics, Chemistry, Agriculture, Banking, etc., and is regularly supplied with journals on Commercial and Technical subjects. In addition, the general public can obtain, free of charge, particulars regarding Current Prices, Tariff Rates, Freight Charges and other valuable commercial information received from foreign countries.

The reading room is large, bright and pleasant. Down the centre of the room are tables, some set apart for consulting books, others for reading journals.

At the discretion of the Librarian, certain books are lent out against deposits.

That the library is gaining in popularity every year, is borne out by the fact that over 50,000 people visited it in 1937, against a bare 6,000 a few years back.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page148  of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

Government Place (East)

Returning to the point from where we entered Government Place (North) and pursuing our way alongthe main thoroughfare, which has now become Government Place (East), we have on the right Government House, and on the left Ezra Mansion, Firpo's Restaurant (formerly Peliti's), the showrooms of the Great Indian Motor Works Ltd. and Drapper Lane, at No. 1 of which is the Rangers Club.  Farther on, at the corner of Government Place (East) and Esplanade (East), stands Esplanade Mansion, a building of distinctive architecture, constructed by Messrs. Martin & Co. in 1910 at a cost of Rs. 5,60,000/-. On the ground floor of Esplanade Mansion is the American Express Co. (International Banking and Travel Agents), the office of the Indian National Airways Ltd., agents for Imperial Airways. Ltd., and the Indian Trans-Connnental Airways Ltd., the Head Ofiice of the Singer Sewing Machine Co. and the Bengal Nagpur Railway City Booking Offices.  The American and Japanese Consulates-General, the office of the Canadian Government Trade Commissioner and the Air Conditioning Corporation, Ltd. are on the upper floors. Adjoining Esplanade Mansion is Thacker Spink &. Co. Ltd. (Booksellers and Publishers): by the side runs Dacres Lane leading to Waterloo Street. At No. 1, Dacres Lane are the offices of the Central Press, where this exhaustive handbook was edited and published. At No. 4, Esplanade (East) are the showrooms of National Motors (Ford) and a little farther on is a large and handsome Government building, on the ground floor of which the Imperial Library has finally found a home. The offices of the Controller of Army Factory Accounts, the Assistant Military Accountant-General,E.M.A-Section, the Controller of Stores, Indian Stores Department and the Income Tax Department are also housed here. 

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 24-25 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

THE INDIAN RED CROSS SOCIETY

(BENGAL PROVINCIAL BRANCH)

Location :No. 5, Government Place North.

Hours of Business :—10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

On the outbreak of the Great War in 1914, there was immediately expressed, by those who could not go to the Front, a great desire to help in any way they could. Lady Carmichael took the initiative and formed the "Lady Carmichael Bengal Women's War Fund."  Its early activities ere confined to the supply of comforts to sailors and soldiers, and implements and appliances to hospitals.

On the conclusion of the Great War in 1918, when the work done for the troops and the field hospitals gradually decreased, the available funds were transferred to the Indian Red Cross Society (Bengal Branch), by an Act known as Bengal Act VIII of 1920.

The aim of the Red Cross Society is to secure the active interest of the greatest number of possible members, and to inaugurate schemes which will be capable of instant expansion in case of emergency. The work of the Society is therefore organised under five main divisions :—

1. The Red Cross Military Division (Literature for Troops Section) :—This division, in peace time, carries on the work done by the Red Cross Society during the war, in providing comforts for troops. It also deals with the collection and despatch of periodicals, books and papers to troops in India, especially on the Frontier. The Bengal Branch is the only Provincial Branch in India which regularly and systematically carries out this work.

2. The Red Cross Hospitals Division (Civil and Military Hospitals) :—This division supplies comforts to Civil and Military Hospitals in Bengal, and meets the salaries of nurses in mofussil hospitals.

3. The Red Cross Health Welfare Division :—This controls work specially connected with Public Health and consists of six sections each with a separate committee:

  Section 1. Calcutta Maternity and Child Welfare Committee.

  Section 2. District Maternity and Child Welfare Committee.

  Section 3. Industrial Maternity and Child Welfare Committee.

  Section 4. Bengal Health School.

  Section 5. Bengal Health Education Committee.

  Section 6. Calcutta Health Week Committee.

4. The Junior Red Cross :—This movement, which started in Bengal in 1931, has gained increasing popularity among the many schools of the Province. Its chief aim is to develop in its youthful members the ideals of personal and communal hygiene; it also does good work in encouraging the exchange of correspondence between its members and those in other countries.

5. The Ambulance Division:—This Consists of:—

(a). St. John Ambulance Association, which for many years has carried out the teaching of First Aid, Home Nursing, Tropical Hygiene and Sanitation throughout the Province.

(b). St. John Ambulance Brigade, which provides the personnel of trained men and women who are prepared to do duty as First Aiders on all public occasions. In addition, separate Committees carry out the work in connection with the following :—

1. The Sub-committee of the King George's AntiTuberculosis Fund.

2. The Jadabpur Tuberculosis Annexe.

3. The Red Cross District Relief Fund.

4. The Association for the Prevention of Blindness, affiliated to this Branch.

The Red Cross Society, working in co-operation with the Association and Brigade, gives a monthly grant to St. John Ambulance Sisters' Clinic for Anglo-Indians. The Society also assists " The Ex-Services Association ", "Calcutta Hospital Day Committee" and other societies in carrying out their annual street collections.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source pages58-60  of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

ST. JOHN'S CHURCH

Admission :—Open daily from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Services:Sundays—Matins 7-30 a.m. Sung Eucharist and Sermon

8.30 a.m. Sunday School 4-30 p.m.

Evensong and Sermon 6-30 p.m.

Weekdays (In Lady Chapel):Wednesdays and Fridays—Holy Communion 8 a.m.

St. John's Church, the Anglican Cathedral of Calcutta until 1847, was built by public subscription from the design of Lieutenant Agg of the Bengal Engineers, on the site of the old Powder Magazine and the original burial ground of the East India Company. The foundation stone was laid on the 6th April 1784, with impressive ceremony by Edward Wheler, Senior Member of Council, under the auspices of the Hon'ble Warren Hastings, and the Church was consecrated in 1787, under the auspices of the Marquess of Cornwallis. It is a large square structure of Grecian architecture, surmounted by a stone tower and spire 174 feet high. Much of the necessary stone and blue-grey marble used in the construction was brought from Gour, the ancient capital of Bengal.

The entrance to the church is by the iron gate at the corner of Council House Street and Hastings Street. A short drive through an avenue of trees brings us to the portico on the west. Ascending a flight of marble steps we enter the vestibule, on the right of which is a marble tablet, erected by the officers of the 19th Bengal Infantry, to the memory of the regimental officers who fell in the storming of the fortress on the heights of Malown in 1815;

by the side is the Vestry, the walls of which are adorned with portraits, including one of Field-Marshal Earl Roberts in a frame together with a copy of his baptismal certificate, recording his birth at Cawnpore on the 30th September 1832, and his christening in this church on the 5th January 1834. In a safe here, is the Silver Communion Service of nine pieces, presented by the East India Company. The parish records cover a period of well over a century and are of great historical value.

Entering the church we note the regimental colours of the 5th Calcutta Battalion I. D. F. on either side. Beneath the one on the right is the memorial erected by the merchants of Calcutta to Alexander Colvin, obit 1818. The upper portion of this memorial depicts two female figures seated upon a beehive, while below is a figure of an Indian woman resting her hand on a jar. Under the flag on the left is the memorial to John Adams by R. Westmacott, featuring two female figures representing "Justice" and "Law" : close by is the baptismal font.

The floor of the church is paved with grey marble and the walls are lined with memorial tablets.

The main Altar is plain and simple in design; a memorial tablet within the Altar rails covers the mortal remains of Bishop Middleton, the first Anglican Bishop of India, obit 8th July 1822. On the left is the marble pulpit and a bust of Earl Minto and, by the side, the Communion Table, above which hangs Zoffany's famous painting of "The Last Supper", presented by the artist himself in 1787; immediately behind is the organ.

To the right of the main Altar is Lady Chapel, the entrance to which is marked by the figures of two angels :

a light is kept constantly burning in this chapel. The three-fold stained glass window depicting scenes from the life of Christ, is in memory of Henry Inglis, obit 1865. On the right is a monument erected by Sir David Ochterlony and the officers of the army under his command, to the memory of young Lieutenant Peter Lawrie, who lost his life in the first campaign of the Nepal War in 1815.

In the verandah on the north of the church is a striking white marble monument, inlaid with delicate mosaic, to the memory of Lady Canning, and immediately  to the west of the church is a beautiful monument covering the remains of Lord Brabourne, Governor of Bengal, who died on the 23rd February 1939, at the age of 42.

In the churchyard at the north-west corner, stands the Charnock Mausoleum, the burial place of Job Charnock, the founder of Calcutta. This mausoleum, erected by his son-in-law Sir Charles Eyre in about 1695, is a massive octagonal structure with a serrated parapet, and is crowned with a domed kiosk surmounted by an urn. Within the mausoleum, placed upright in a row, are four black granite slabs, one to the memory of Job Charnock, obit 1692, another to his daughter Mary Eyre (wife of Sir Charles Eyre), the third to the memory of William Hamilton, the surgeon who cured Ferrukseer, King of Indostan, and the fourth to Mrs. Catherine White, younger daughter of Job Charnock, obit 1700.

Among the other monuments in the churchyard are those of Mrs. Francis Johnson, 1725-1812, who was the oldest resident of Bengal; Charles Watson, Vice-Admiral and Commander-in-Chief of His Majesty's Naval Forces in the East Indies, obit 1757; William Speke, of His Majesty's Ship "Kent," who lost his life during the capture of Fort Orleans in 1757; and the Right Rev. Bishop John Turner, obit 1831; also a cenotaph in memory of Col. C. Burrington and those who fell during the Rohilla War in 1794.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source pages 60-62 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

ST. JOHN'S CHURCH

ST. JOHN'S CHURCH : The old Cathedral Church of St. John on Hastings Street, was erected in 1787 on a plot of land given by a Hindu and with the money raised by a public lottery. It has a famous painting of the "Last Supper" by John Zoffany (1733-1810) in which the Apostles are all portraits of well-known contemporary European residents of Calcutta. The Charnock mausoleum stands in the church compound and also the tomb of Admiral Watson, who, with Clive, rettok Calcutta in 1757. Surgeon William Hamilton - who, having cured the Emperor Farrukhsiyar, in 1716, obtained for the East India Company the right of importing their goods free of duty and other privileges - also is buried in this churchyard.

(source: “A Guide Book to Calcutta, Agra, Delhi, Karachi and Bombay” The American Red Cross and the China-Burma-India-Command. [1943]:  at: http://cbi-theater-2.home.comcast.net/redcross/red-cross-india.html#INDIA)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with the original submitter/author)

 

 

 

          _____Memories of 1940s Calcutta_______________________

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Esplanade East

 

 

 

          _____Pictures of 1940s Calcutta________________________

 

Calcutta street scene

Seymour Balkin, USAAF 40th Bombergroup. Calcutta, 1944

(source: webpage http://40thbombgroup.org/indiapics2.html  Monday, 03-Jun-2003 / Reproduced by courtesy of Seymour Balkin)

 

 

 

          _____Contemporary Records of or about 1940s Calcutta___

 

Curzon Gardens

To the right of the thoroughfare lies Curzon Gardens, pleasingly laid out in the shape of a Union Jack. At the western side of the garden stands the statue of Raj Bahadur Sir Hariram Goenka, business man and philanthropist, while bounding the garden on the east is the Calcutta Tramways Co's Main Junction, with a large pavilion for waiting passengers.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 25 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

THE OCHTERLONY MONUMENT

On the western extremity of the Maidan, facing Esplanade East, towers the Ochterlony Monument, for years the most prominent landmark in the city. It was erected to perpetuate the memory of that distinguished soldier, Major-General, Sir David Ochterlony, the hero of the Nepalese "War.

Sir David Ochterlony was born in February 1758 at Boston, U. S. A., joined the Hon'ble East India Company's army as a cadet in 1777, and rose to the rank of Major-General. He died at Meerut in 1825.

The monument, a fluted column of brickwork, was built in 1828 by J. P. Parker, from the design of Charles Knowles Robinson, at a cost of about Rs. 35,000, met by public subscription. It is of Eastern design, with a rare combination of three architectural styles. The base is Egyptian, the column Syrian, while the dome with its metal cupola is typically Turkish. The height of the monument is 158 feet; the spiral staircase within contains 198 steps from the ground level to the first balcony, and another 25 from the first to the second balcony.

A trip to the top is well worth the trouble entailed, as from it one can view and marvel at the spreading panorama of the busy city below, laid out in a perfect bird's-eye view.

No charge is levied for ascending the monument, the only formality being the obtaining of the necessary permission, which is readily had from the Assistant Commissioner of Police at 18 Lall Bazar Street.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source pages 120 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

THE IMPERIAL LIBRARY

Admission:—Free; those below the age of 18 are not admitted.Tickets are issued on application to the Librarian.

Open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays and holidays. Closed on the four principal days of the Durga Puja holidays, Christmas & New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and the King Emperor's birthday.

Trams :—All except Park Circus-High Court via Harrison Road, and Sealdah-Dalhousie via Bowbazar.

Buses :—2, 2A, 3,3A, 4, 4A, 5, 5A, 8, 8A, 12, 12B, 13, 14.

The Imperial Library is accommodated on the ground floor of No. 6 Esplanade East, in the magnificent building known as the Foreign and Military Secretariat. This Library was founded in 1902 by Lord Curzon, Viceroy and Governor-General of India (1899-1905), by the amalgamation of the Calcutta Public Library with the then Imperial Library, which had been formed in 1891 by combining a number of departmental libraries of the Government of India. The newly constituted Imperial Library was housed in Metcalfe Hall from 1902 to 1923i when it was removed to its present premises, which are more spacious and very centrally situated.

There are three reading rooms,—the General Reading Room, the Ladies' Reading Room, and the Private Reading Room for those engaged in systematic research work. The number of visitors during 1936-1937 was 50,576 against 15,093 in 1902, the year of its inauguration.

From a little short of 100,000 volumes in January 1903, the Library now contains 340,000 among which are a number of very important ones, including a few rare early editions in English dealing with India, recent editions of books in French, German and other European languages, and a wide selection of diverse books on a variety of subjects. In addition there are a number of the more important newspapers and • periodicals published in India and abroad.

A collection of books and manuscripts in Arabic, Persian and Urdu, known as the "Buhar Library", generously presented to the Government of India in 1904 by Maulvi Sayed Sadr-ud-din Ahmed-ul-Musovi, Zemindar of Buhar, are also treasured in this Library.

The Library maintains author and subject catalogues of books printed in English and other European languages; also of books in Arabic, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Malayalam, Marathi, Pali, Persian, San' skrit, Tamil, Telegu, Tibetan, Urdu and Uriya.

Books are lent out against a deposit, except in the case of those valuable for their rarity or illustrations, in which case special permission must be obtained from the Librarian, who, when in doubt, refers the matter to the Library Council for orders.

The Library Museum:—This consists of a collection of historical and antiquarian exhibits of literary interest, including old maps of India, and autographed letters in Bengali, English, Hindi, Persian and Urdu. These are displayed in a room on the second floor, and can be inspected on obtaining permission from the Librarian.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source pages 147-148 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

GOVERNMENT HOUSE

Government House, very centrally situated at the northern end of the Calcutta Maidan, is the most magnificent residential building in Calcutta. It was erected as a result of representations made by the Marquess of Wellesley, Governor-General (1798-1805), that the then existing Government House was not appropriate to the dignity and prestige of the Governor-General of India.

Designed by Captain Wyatt of the Corps of Engineers, the foundation stone was laid on the 5th February, 1799, and the building, erected at a cost of about Rs. 20 lakhs, formally opened and occupied by the Marquess of Wellesley on the 27th January 1803, with a Ball given in honour of the signing of the Treaty of Amiens.

The palace, consisting of the main building surmounted by a majestic silvery dome and four corner blocks, is almost a replica of Kedleston Hall, Lord Curzon's ancestral home in Derbyshire. It stands in the centre of an artistically laid-out park covering about six acres, and was the residence of the Viceroys of India till 1912, when, on the transfer of the Imperial capital to Delhi, it became the residence of the Governors of Bengal.

There are six gates to the building; the design of the two eastern and the two western ones attracting special attention, each being surmounted by a stone lion with a forepaw resting on a globe. The main gate is to the north, where the Visitors' Book is kept.

When the Governor is in residence, mounted sowars of his Bodyguard are on duty at the southern entrance, after the style of the Horseguards at Whitehall.   -

A magnificent flight of steps leads to the State Room, used only on State and Ceremonial occasions. The main entrance is through a handsome portico, supported by lofty classical columns and surmounted by the Royal Coat of Arms. The Throne Room, where the Throne of Tipu Sultan is still preserved, and the Grand Marble Hall are on the first floor ; the Ball Room. is on the floor above.

The Palace abounds with objects of art, many of which are of historic interest.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source pages 57-58  of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

GOVERNMENT HOUSE

GOVERNMENT HOUSE : Formerly the official residence of the Governor-General and Viceroy of India, and now of the Governor of Bengal, this palace was erected by Lord Wellesly in 1803 at a cost of Rs. 20 lakhs. With its grand staircase, Marble Hall, Throne Room - which contains the throne of Tipu Sultan, the splendid ballroom with their magnificent glass chandeliers and lustures, Government House stands on a fine enclosure of six acres beautifully laid out, with six huge entrances.

(source: “A Guide Book to Calcutta, Agra, Delhi, Karachi and Bombay” The American Red Cross and the China-Burma-India-Command. [1943]:  at: http://cbi-theater-2.home.comcast.net/redcross/red-cross-india.html#INDIA)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with the original submitter/author)

 

 

 

          _____Memories of 1940s Calcutta_______________________

 

 

Government House

Government House, an imitation of Kedleston Hall, was the most imposing in its garden of well-kept lawns and trees. The domed central building was approached by a double flight of steps, and the four wings connected by galleries were ingeniously ventilated. From either side the impression was of a semi-circle with Ionic columns and a central porch, and similar columns silhouetted the wings.

Harold Acton, RAF airforce officer. Calcutta, early 1940s.
(source: page 115 Harold Acton: More memoirs of an Aesthete. London Methuen, 1970)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with Harold Acton)

 

 

 

 

 

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Chowringhee Square

 

 

 

          _____Pictures of 1940s Calcutta________________________

 

Chowringhee Square

06

Chowringhee Square.  The Mohamadan mosque, Juma Masjid, is shown at left.  This is actually one of the quiet moments when GI trucks, taxis, bicycles and other modes of transport can move with comparative freedom.

Clyde Waddell, US military man, personal press photographer of Lord Louis Mountbatten, and news photographer on Phoenix magazine. Calcutta, mid 1940s

(source: webpage http://oldsite.library.upenn.edu/etext/sasia/calcutta1947/?  Monday, 16-Jun-2003 / Reproduced by courtesy of David N. Nelson, South Asia Bibliographer, Van Pelt Library, University of Pennsylvania)

 

Gate to Calcutta Statesman newspaper office a short distance north of the Esplanade

Glenn Hensley, Photography Technician with US Army Airforce, Summer 1944

 

 (source: Glenn S. Hensley: Calcutta Statesman newspaper office, B004, Gate to Calcutta Statesman newspaper office a short distance north of the Esplanade  seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a  series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)

 

 (COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)

 

 

Editorial offices of ""Calcutta Statesman"", a daily newspaper,1944

Glenn Hensley, Photography Technician with US Army Airforce, Summer 1944

 

 (source: Glenn S. Hensley: Statesman office, C018, " Editorial offices of ""Calcutta Statesman"", a daily newspaper,1944. Located at the corner of  today's Bentinck Street and Chittaranjan Avenue."  seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a  series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)

 

 (COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)

 

 

Calcutta Street Scene

Seymour Balkin, USAAF 40th Bombergroup. Calcutta, 1944

(source: webpage http://40thbombgroup.org/indiapics2.html  Monday, 03-Jun-2003 / Reproduced by courtesy of Seymour Balkin)

 

 

Traffic Cop

 

Seymour Balkin, USAAF 40th Bombergroup. Calcutta, 1944

(source: webpage http://40thbombgroup.org/indiapics2.html  Monday, 03-Jun-2003 / Reproduced by courtesy of Seymour Balkin)

 

 

 

Intersection of Chowringee Road and Dharamtolla

Glenn Hensley, Photography Technician with US Army Airforce, Summer 1944

 

 (source: Glenn S. Hensley: Upper floor view of intersection, C021, "Intersection of Chowringee Road and Dharamtolla (today's Surenda Nath Banerji Road. View looks south from an upper floor of the Calcutta ""Statesman"" editorial offices. Victoria Memorial and Ochterlony Monument are visible in the Maidan."  seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a  series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)

 

 (COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)

 

 

Looking northeast across the intersection of Chowringee and Dharamtolla

Glenn Hensley, Photography Technician with US Army Airforce, Summer 1944

 

 (source: Glenn S. Hensley: Intersection, C013, "Looking northeast across the intersection of Chowringee and today's Lenin (Was Dharamtolla, I think) street. Esplanade tram terminus is off to the left, out of sight."  seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a  series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)

 

 (COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)

 

 

 

North up toward today's Bentinck Street

North up today's Nehru Road toward today's Bentinck Street from the intersection of Nehru Road and Esplande Row East, Lenin streets. Photo made from second floor Chung Sun restaurant building. Calcutta Statesman newspaper office is just out of sight to right.

Glenn Hensley, Photography Technician with US Army Airforce, Summer 1944

 

 (source: Glenn S. Hensley: Nehru Road, C008,"North up today's Nehru Road toward today's Bentinck Street from the intersection of Nehru Road and Esplande Row East, Lenin streets. Photo made from second floor Chung Sun restaurant building. Calcutta Statesman newspaper office is just out of sight to right."  seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a  series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)

 

 (COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)

 

 

 

Chowringee Road at Esplanade, center of activity

Glenn Hensley, Photography Technician with US Army Airforce, Summer 1944

 

 (source: Glenn S. Hensley: Chowringee Road, C001, "Chowringee Road at Esplanade, center of activity."  seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a  series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)

 

 (COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)

 

 

 

 

 

          _____Contemporary Records of or about 1940s Calcutta___

 

 

Chowringhee Square

The end of Esplanade (East) brings us to a point where five important roads diverge. The one immediately on the left is Bentinck Street leading to the junction of Lall Bazar and Bow Bazar Streets. Proceeding down Bentinck Street we have, on our left, three stately buildings in a line, the centre one towering high above all is Tower House, 13.3 feet high. A little farther on is the Paradise Cinema, then come Waterloo Street and Meredith Street facing each other, and a few steps higher up, Sooterkin Street and British Indian Street likewise standing opposite each other. Passing Prinsep Street (right), Mangoe Lane (left) and Metcalfe Street (right) we come to the newly constructed road linking Dalhousie Square with Wellington Street. Weston Street and Grant Lane on the right and Mercantile Buildings on the left mark the end of Bentinck Street.

Returning to the junction of Esplanade (East) and Bentinck Street we have Chowringhee Square on our left. Right in the centre is a granite column surmounted by a Striking bronze statue of Sir Ashutosh Mukerjee (1864-1924), robed as Vice-Chancellor of the Calcutta University.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 25 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation

Behind is Victoria House, the handsome and imposing building of the Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation, surmounted by a dome on which is a globe that becomes an illuminated beacon during the early hours of the night.

The Calcutta Electric Supply was founded in 1897 and commenced supplying electricity in April, 1899. For the first few years Messrs. Kilburn & Co., were the Managing Agents, but in 1903 the Company opened their own offices in Calcutta, first in Dalhousie Square and later in Old Post Office Street, where the management of the Company was conducted until 1931, when new and larger accommodation became necessary as a result of rapid expansion of the Company's business. Victoria House was designed and constructed by Messrs. Sudlow, Bailardie and Thompson, Architects, at an approximate total cost of Rs. 20,00,000/-.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 25-26 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

"The Statesman"

To the east of Victoria House and separated from it by a roadway, marking the entrance to Central Avenue, is Statesman House, a stately building of modern architecture, designed by Sudlow, Bailardie and Thompson. The foundation stone was laid by Lord Willingdon, Viceroy and Governor-General of India, on the 9th December, 1931, and the building formally opened by Sir John Anderson, then Governor of Bengal, on the 18th January, 1933.

The shape of the site settled the main lines of the Statesman House, and its designers were able to obtain considerable dignity for the main front by setting it back from the roadway in a broad sweep. The colonnades, which run through two storeys of the structure, emphasise the importance and dignity of the main entrance.

"The Statesman" had a foster parent in "The Friend of India," a paper which was starred in 1817 at Serampore by the famous missionaries, Carey, Marshman and Ward. This paper was bought in 1875 by the journalist Mr. Robert Knight, who was then running a paper under the name of "The Indian Statesman." For some years after the purchase both papers were printed independently, and when Mr. Knight decided to merge the one with the other, reluctant chat " The Friend of India " should disappear altogether, he incorporated its ride with "The Indian Statesman," and a paper "The Statesman and Friend of India" was published for some time, Later the name was changed to "The Statesman (with which The Friend of India is incorporated)".

With the passage of years The Statesman has gradually grown in popularity, size and importance and today holds the record for the largest circulation in the East. It publishes the latest news from the world over and carries a wide variety of advertisement. The Statesman also publishes a "Weekly Overseas Edition".

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 26-27 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

Shahi Masjid

Directly facing Esplanade (East) is Dharamtala Street leading to Lower Circular Road. Entering Dharamtala Street we note No. 1 on the right and No. 186 on the left. At the corner, on the left, is the well known Shahi Masjid, built in 1842 by Prince Golam Mohamed, son of Tipoo Sultan. In front is a fountain erected by Nawab Abdul Gunny, C. S. I. and his son, Nawab Ahsonallah Khan Bahadur of Dacca, in commemoration of the visit to Calcutta in 1875 of H. R. H. The Prince of Wales, afterwards King Edward VII.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 27 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

 

 

 

          _____Memories of 1940s Calcutta_______________________

 

 

 

 

 

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Dharamtala Street

 

 

 

          _____Pictures of 1940s Calcutta________________________

 

 

 

 

 

          _____Contemporary Records of or about 1940s Calcutta___

 

 

Dharamtala Street

Porceeding we have on the right the church of the Sacred Heart of ]esus, built in 1822 by Mrs. Pascoa Baretto De Souza ; adjoining is the Corinthian Theatre and Talkie House, while on the left is the New Cinema, by the side of which runs Madan Street. Facing Madan Street is, Mod Sil Street and higher up (left) is the Loreto Girls' School and Kindergarten, and immediately after Chandney Chowk Street. Next at the corner is Chandney Market, a well-known centre for ready-made clothes, while on the right is Grant Street. Passing Nilmoni Halder Lane and then the Ruby Cinema, we reach Rani Rashmoni Road, formerly Free School Street, leading to Market Street and thence, as Free School Street, to Park Street. Opposite Rani Rashmoni Road is Hospital Street leading past Temple Street to Prinsep Street.

Pursuing our way we pass on the right the Salvation Army Headquarters for Eastern India, the Indian Institute for Medical Research, Mott Lane, the Dharamtala Post and Telegraph Office and Thoburn Lane; on the left is The Bengal Immunity Co. Ltd. This Institution was founded in 1919, under a Board of Directors and a Working Committee, consisting of prominent members of the Medical profession, for the preparation of Sera, Vaccines and other injectable products.

Next is the Calcutta Girls' High School and the Thoburn Methodist Episcopal Church.  These bring us to the point where Wellington Street (left) leading to Bowbazar Street and Wellesley Street (right) leading to Park Street, stand opposite each other.

[…]

Returning to Dharamtala Street and pursuing our way we have Wellington Square on the left. Higher up, at the corner of the Square and Dharamtala Street, is the Lee Memorial Mission Girls School, a three storeyed building, partly covered with tall creepers. A tablet in the portico bears the inscription:—"Built in 1909 in answer to prayer. Psalm 127. i." Continuing our way along the thoroughfare we pass in succession Indian Mirror Street, the Tuberculosis Association of Bengal (Branch Office), the Khelat Chandra Calcutta Institution,  and the Indian Medical Association (Calcutta and Bengal Branches) (right); Gangaram Palit Lane, Collins' Institute for Boys, founded by the American Missionaries, Gokul Boral Street and the DeSouza Home (left) and reach the Union Congregational Chapel, built in 1821 by the London Missionary Society. Facing the Union Chapel is Taltala Avenue, at the corner of which are the offices of the "Advance" (a daily newspaper), bounded on the east by Ram Chandra Das Row leading to Corporation Street. Higher up stands Minto and Elgin Mansions facing each other; next on the left is Beni Mullick Lane. At the corner of Beni Mullick Lane and Dharamtala Street is the Central Methodist Episcopal Church, built in 1923, by the American Missionaries. Adjoining is the District Charitable Society; and opposite it across the thoroughfare, is Khorshed Madan Mansion, where Parsees of small means can obtain residential quarters at an exceptionally low rental; by the side of Khorshed Madan Mansion runs Sham Churn Sarkar Lane. Waverley Lane leading to Surendra Nath Banerjee Road brings us to the end of Dharamtala Street.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 27-29 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

SALVATION ARMY

Central Hall—37, Dharamtala Street

PUBLIC MEETINGS

SundayHoliness Meeting, 10 a.m.

Young Peoples Meeting (Sunday School), 8-45 a.m.

Salvation Meeting, 7-30 p.m.

Monday— Vernacular Meeting, 8-30 p.m. 

WednesdayHome League (Ladies only), 3-30 p.m.

ThursdayUnited Meeting, Music and Speaker, 7-30 p.m.

The Salvation Army Headquarters for Eastern India is located at 37 Dharamtala Street, a three-storeyed building of modern architecture. A marble tablet at the entrance, bears the inscription :—

"This building was erected and dedicated to the glory
of God; for the Salvation of souls, by the aid of Army
comrades and friends in
Great Britain and Calcutta, in
commemoration of the 70th., birthday of General Bram-
well Booth. 1926".

The Salvation Army, established in Calcutta in 1888, has a splendid record of achievement and endeavour. During this comparatively short period, in addition to Evangelical Work carried on at 37 Dharamtala Street and 66 Circus Row, Park Circus, the Army has founded the following well-organised institutions :—

The Training Garrison for young men, at 37 Dharamtala Street.

The Salvation Army (Gidney) Hostel for young business women, at 38 Dharamtala Street.

Naval and Military Home :—a "home away from home" for soldiers and sailors, at 2 Sudder Street.

Men's Industrial Home :—which provides employment and offers night shelter for Europeans and Anglo-Indians, at 173 Lower Circular Road.

The Women's and Children's Industrial Home at Behala (for Indians), consisting of an Industrial Home, a department to deal with and house young girls rescued from moral danger, a medical unit and an infant section which deals with foundlings and orphaned babies.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source pages115-116  of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

Wellesley Street

Entering Wellesley Street we note No. 1 on the right and No. 93 on the left. Proceeding we have Indian Mirror Street on the left and facing it (right) is Mott Lane. Higher up, at No. 8, is the Islamia College and farther on Sookar Sarkar Lane and immediately after the Majestic Cinema. On the left we have Blochmann Street and then Wellesley Square (west). At the left corner of Wellesley Square and Wellesley Street stands the Church of Scotland while the right corner, within Wellesley Park, is occupied by the Calcutta Madrassa and the Muslim Institute. Facing Wellesley Square is Karim Baksh Lane, next comes Mirza Mehdi Lane and then Marquis Street leading across Collin Street and Free School Street to Chowringhee Lane. Opposite Marquis Street, across the thoroughfare, is Wellesley Square (east).

Continuing our way, we have on the left, Nawab Abdour Rahman Street, formerly Turner Street, and directly facing it (right) Collin Street, immediately on the right side of which, at 105, is the Anglo-Indian Association's Soup Kitchen and Occupational Centre for helping unemployed Anglo-Indians. Passing Wellesley 2nd. Lane and then Wellesley 1st. Lane (left) and Collin Street (right) we reach the crossing of Ripon Street and a short distance higher up the crossing of Royd Street. Royd Lane and Park Lane on the left and Wellesley Mansion on the right mark the end of this thoroughfare.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 28 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

ISLAMIA COLLEGE

Location :8 Wellesley Street.

Trams :—Dalhousie Square-Park Circus.

Buses :—8, 8A.

To meet the educational needs of the Moslem Community, the Government of Bengal in 1881 had under consideration a scheme for the establishment of a second grade college. It was not until 1884, however, that the First Arts (now called the Intermediate in Arts) class was started in the Calcutta Madrassah. In July 1888 an amalgamation was effected with the Presidency College, for teaching purposes only, and from that date the Madrassah students attended lectures at the Presidency College.

Efforts to establish independent Arts Classes were not successful till 1923, when the proposal was placed before the Legislative Council and funds sanctioned for the building of the Islamia College. The foundation stone was laid by Lord Lytton in December 1924, and the building completed and formally opened in July 1926.

The structure, typically Islamic, consists of a main block facing east, with two wings at right angles to the north and south extremities. A wrought/iron gate, railings, balconies, domes, and grilles to the windows, serve to emphasize its Oriental design.

The College is under the control of the Director of Public Instruction and is affiliated to the Calcutta University up to the I.A, I. Sc. and B. A. standards.  It has accommodation for four hundred students, admission being restricted to Muslims. The Baker Hostel, for the College students, is located at Smith Lane (Wellesley Square) and has accommodation for two hundred boarders.

The College has well-equipped laboratories, and a library containing over 7000 volumes, including a collection of rare Arabic, Persian, and Urdu manuscripts.

The College Union conducts a variety of activities, including weekly lectures, a college magazine and an annual St. John's Ambulance Class for First Aid certificates. Mohsin stipends have been allotted to the College, and some private stipends are also awarded from the Poor Students' Fund.

In addition, several scholarships are awarded to deserving students, the chief being the Lytton Scholarship of £170 per annum for study in the United Kingdom. The College is ably staffed with efficient Professors and Lecturers, and the success of the students at the Calcutta University Examinations is very satisfactory. The College figures in all athletic sports and has a regular Physical Instructor.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source pages 135-136 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

CALCUTTA MADRASSAH

A short distance from the College, at No. 21A Wellesley Square, is the CALCUTTA MADRASSAH. This is the oldest educational institution in Calcutta. It was founded in 1780 by the Hon'ble Warren Hastings, who purchased a plot of land on the south side of Baitakhana Road, erected the building at his own expense, and maintained it till 1782, when the Government took it over.

The present Madrassah, a massive structure built on the four sides of a quadrangle, was erected on the 15th July 1824. It consists of the following :—

The Arabic Department, with about 600 students.

The Anglo-Persian Department, with about 650 students.

The Woodburn Middle English School, with approximately 150 pupils.

The Elliot Hostel (facing the Madrassah) with accommodation for 134 boarders, and

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 136 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

THE MUSLIM INSTITUTE

A handsome three-storeyed building, the foundation stone of which was laid by Sir Stanley Jackson, then Governor of Bengal, on the 26th February 1931. The Institute is equipped with a large reading room, a wellstocked library, an up-to-date gymnasium, and a spacious hall used for lectures and civic and social gatherings. The primary object of the Institute is to promote friendly relations among the Muslim Community, to encourage the study of religious, social, literary, and scientific subjects, and to develop mental and physical culture among its many members. Various privileges are offered to members, including debates, games, socials and excursions.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page136  of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

 

 

          _____Memories of 1940s Calcutta_______________________

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Chowringhee Road (north of Park Street)

 

 

 

          _____Pictures of 1940s Calcutta________________________

 

 

Chowringhee St.

01

Chowringhee Street---Calcutta's main thoroughfare, an amazing parade of fascinating sights and sounds. Every soldier who has trod its length retains memories of one of the most colourful and interesting streets in the world.

Clyde Waddell, US military man, personal press photographer of Lord Louis Mountbatten, and news photographer on Phoenix magazine. Calcutta, mid 1940s

(source: webpage http://oldsite.library.upenn.edu/etext/sasia/calcutta1947/?  Monday, 16-Jun-2003 / Reproduced by courtesy of David N. Nelson, South Asia Bibliographer, Van Pelt Library, University of Pennsylvania)

 

G.I. tourist on Chowringhee [Street]

45

The GI tourist here ponders the purchase of a 'rare gem'---a typical camera study of life on Chowringhee during the war.  Firpo's famous restaurant is in the background, and dhoti-clad Indians and a British officer in shorts lend a bit of atmosphere.

Clyde Waddell, US military man, personal press photographer of Lord Louis Mountbatten, and news photographer on Phoenix magazine. Calcutta, mid 1940s

(source: webpage http://oldsite.library.upenn.edu/etext/sasia/calcutta1947/?  Monday, 16-Jun-2003 / Reproduced by courtesy of David N. Nelson, South Asia Bibliographer, Van Pelt Library, University of Pennsylvania)

 

Chowringee Road near the tram terminus

Glenn Hensley, Photography Technician with US Army Airforce, Summer 1944

 

 (source: Glenn S. Hensley: Looking south on Chowringee Road, C024, " Chowringee Road near the tram terminus.  Building with clock tower housed Whiteaway and Laidlaw department store. It stocked good, British and Indian made clothing and accessories. Even in, the Hotel Continental lacked most modern conveniences. The Great Eastern Hotel,  however, was excellent and its food great!  Calcutta."  seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a  series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)

 

 (COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)

 

 

Looking south down Chowringee Road from tram terminus

Glenn Hensley, Photography Technician with US Army Airforce, Summer 1944

 

 (source: Glenn S. Hensley: Movie house, C025, "Looking south down Chowringee Road from tram terminus. Maidan is on right. Calcutta. Note movie ""Red Skeleton and Esther Williams in Bathing Beauty,"" at the Metro."  seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a  series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)

 

 (COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)

 

 

Chowringee and tram terminus from Calcutta Statesman

Glenn Hensley, Photography Technician with US Army Airforce, Summer 1944

 

 (source: Glenn S. Hensley: Chowringee and tram terminus, C026, Chowringee and tram terminus from Calcutta Statesman editorial   seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a  series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)

 

 (COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)

 

 

Calcutta

Glenn Hensley, Photography Technician with US Army Airforce, Summer 1944

 

 (source: Glenn S. Hensley: Calcutta, C029, Another negative I found which should go with the Calcutta material you already have from me.  seen at University of Chicago Hensley Photo Library at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/images/hensley as well as a  series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)

 

 (COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley and under a Creative Commons license)

 

 

Calcutta Bus on Chowringhee

 

Richard Beard, US Army Lieutenant Psychologist with 142 US military hospital. Calcutta,

(Source: Elaine Pinkerton / Reproduced by courtesy of Elaine Pinkerton)

 

 

 

 

          _____Contemporary Records of or about 1940s Calcutta___

 

Chowringhee Road (North of Park Street)

Back to the point where we entered Dharamtala Street and turning south, we enter Chowringhee Road, one of the widest and most picturesque thoroughfares in Calcutta, skirting the Maidan on the east.  No. 1, Chowringhee Road, formerly the Bristol Hotel, is now the Headquarters of the Bengal Bus Syndicate, the Bristol Hotel is at No. 2, and the Fresco Restaurant at No, 3.  Passing Moti Sil Street, we stand before the Metro Cinema, built in 1935 by Mackintosh Burn Ltd. On the site of the Statesman's old offices ; it is of futuristic architecture and is considered to be Calcutta's most luxurious Talkie House. Adjoining Metro Cinema is the Calcutta Clinical Research Association Ltd. said to be the first non-official institution in Bengal. It was founded in 1908 by a number of young medical graduates of the Calcutta University for the laboratory diagnosis of disease. Next comes Whiteaway Laidlaw's large and handsome building with an illuminated clock in the central dome.  The top floors, known as Victoria Chambers, are let out in flats, while the whole of the ground and first floors are occupied by the firm's departmental store. By the side runs Surendra Nath Banerjee Road (formerly Corporation Street) leading to Lower Circular Road.

[…] proceeding along, we come to Hotel Continetal (Cabaret nightly) curving round into Chowringhee Place.

[…] once more in Chowringhee Road, we step into the Grand Hotel Arcade and passing Bata's and then Frank Ross & Co. Ltd. (Chemists), reach the main entrance of the Grand Hotel Ltd., Calcutta's largest hotel, overlooking the Maidan.

The end of the arcade brings us to Humayun Place leading to the New Market. […]

Next we pass Firpo's Restaurant, the Plaza Cinema and come to Lindsay Street which leads past the front of the New Market to Free School Street. Continuing our way along the main thoroughfare, we note the Bible House, where the British and Foreign Bible Society carry on their great work. Higher up, at No. 25, is the Y. M. C. A.'s Headquarters and a few steps farther on is Sudder Street leading to Free School Street.

[…]

At the corner of Chowringhee Road and Sudder Street stands the Indian Museum, housing the Government School of Art in its southern wing. […]

Next to the School of Art is the United Service Club Limited, a building of distinctive architecture, erected in 1905 by Mackintosh Burn Ltd. […]

The striking structure of Gothic architecture, extending from Kyd Street to Park Street along Chowringhee, is Chowringhee Mansion, erected in 1907 by Mackintosh Burn Ltd. at a cost of Rs. 6,00.000/-. At the southern end of Chowringhee Mansion, on the ground floor, is the reading and service room of the Christian Science Society. This brings us to the end of tour No. 1.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 29-32 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

Whiteaway Laidlaw's

Next comes Whiteaway Laidlaw's large and handsome building with an illuminated clock in the central dome.  The top floors, known as Victoria Chambers, are let out in flats, while the whole of the ground and first floors are occupied by the firm's departmental store.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 30 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

Surendra Nath Banerjee Road

Next comes Whiteaway Laidlaw's large and handsome building with an illuminated clock in the central dome.  The top floors, known as Victoria Chambers, are let out in flats, while the whole of the ground and first floors are occupied by the firm's departmental store. By the side runs Surendra Nath Banerjee Road (formerly Corporation Street) leading to Lower Circular Road.

A short distance down Surendra Nath Banerjee Road (right) is the Regal Cinema and separated from it by a roadway leading to the New Market, is the Administrative Headquarters of the  Calcutta Corporation, bounded on the east by Hogg Street.  On the left we have Moti Sil Street and then Grant Street, and a little higher up the Prabhat Cinema, formerly Madan Theatre; adjoining it is the handsome building and spacious grounds of the Young Women's Christian Association (International).

[…]

Opposite the Y.W.C.A., at the corner of Hogg Street and Surendra Nath Banerjee Road, stands the Hindusthan Building, accommodating the Hindusthan Co-operative Insurance Society, Ltd. Crossing Rani Rashmoni Road, we have on the left Goaltoli Lane and higher up the Government Technical School ; on the right is Ramhurry Mistree Lane and then Collin Street leading across Marquis Street to Wellesley Street.

We now cross Wellesley Street and note Blochmann Street on the right, leading to Wellesley Street. Then comes the Young Men's Christian Association (Wellington Branch), by the side of which is Taltala Lane winding to Wellesley Square.  Directly facing Taltala Lane is the Oriental Training Academy (No. 104) and a few steps farther up, Indian Mirror Street.

Passing Taltala Avenue, Ram Chandra Das Row, Bhattarcharjee Lane and Sham Churn Sarkar Lane (left), and Haro Kumar Tagore Square, Doctor Lane, the Wesleyan Methodist Church (Osmond Memorial) and NewgipukurLane (right): we come to Durga Charan Doctor Road ; opposite is the Taltala High School. The Calcutta Boys' High School and Waverley Mansions on the right, and Waverley Lane and Patra Lane on the left, mark the end of this thoroughfare.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 30-31 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

THE CORPORATION OF CALCUTTA

The administrative headquarters of the Corporation, generally known as the Central Municipal Offices, are situated at No. 5 Surendra Nath Banerjee Road. The building, of Gothic architecture, was erected in 1905 from the design of Mr. Banks Gwyther, and formally opened in June of the same year by Mr. R. T. Grier, then Chairman of the Corporation. The eastern and western wings are connected with the central block by covered passages. The Council Chamber and rooms in the central block have verandahs on the north and south sides, the corridors formed by the verandahs and passages affording easy communication between the several departments,

The main feature of the building is the central tower on the south, raised to a height of 105 feet. Directly under the tower is the official entrance, reached from Chowringhee Place: this is only opened on Committee days for the use of the members.

 Passing through the heavy grilled doors, we are in the well of the staircase, where is conspicuously exhibited a 75 M. M. Krupp gun captured in the Boer War, and presented to the Corporation of Calcutta in 1905 by the Government of India in recognition of services rendered by India during the War.

Ascending the wide steps we find ourselves in the spacious lobby, adorned with the busts of Sir Henry Leland Harrison, Kt,, Chairman of the Corporation, William Mearns Souttar, Chairman, and Sir Surendra Nath Banerjea, Kt., (1848-1925). Tablets to and portraits of, Sir Charles Alien, Kt., Chairman of the Corporation, and Dr. Herbert Milverton Crake, Health Officer of the Corporation ; and portraits of, John Blessington Roberts, Chairman of the Justice of the Peace, Gopal Lal Mitter, Vice-Chairman, Sir Kailash Chandra Bose, Kt., Commissioner, Nilambara Mukerji, Vice-Chairman, Robert Turnbull, Secretary, Rai Bahadur Nalini Nath Sett, Councillor, Raj Bahadur Debendra Chunder Ghose, Commissioner, and others, are also displayed in this lobby.

In the lobby on the south, is the Lady Councillors' Room, and on the east, the Council Chamber, a beautiful and lofty hall, well worthy of its site and functions. On the north, upon a raised dais and under an artistically designed canopy, is the Mayor's chair, elaborately carved and surmounted with the arms of the Corporation embossed in gold : on the right of the Mayor sits the Deputy Mayor, on the left the Chief Executive Officer: the Secretaries sit at the table immediately before the mayorial desk. The Councillors' chairs and desks, arranged in horse-shoe fashion facing the Mayor's chair, are upholstered in green moroccan leather, with the arms of the Corporation emblazoned in gold on each. The Committee Rooms, the offices of the Mayor, the Deputy Mayor, the Chief Executive Officer and Secretaries, are located in the western wing of the building; the Councillors' Room and the lift is in the eastern wing.

The first Corporation of Calcutta was formed in 1727. The present one, constituted under the Calcutta Municipal Act of 1923, consists of a Mayor, a Deputy Mayor, a Chief Executive Officer, five Aldermen, and eighty-seven Councillors. There are nine standing committees, appointed annually to deal with buildings, estates and general purposes; finance, public health, public utilities and markets; roads and bustees; and services, water supply and works.

The last census figures taken of Calcutta in 1931, show a total population of 11,96,734 against 10,77,264 in 1921. The gross valuation of the city on 31st March 1938 was Rs. 10,33,52,543 as compared with Rs. 1,31,77,293 in 1880, and Rs. 2,19,49,992 in 1900. The income of the Corporation in 1937-38 was Rs. 2,47,47,094 and the expenditure Rs. 2,45,03,625; the corresponding figures in 1900-01 were Rs. 54,34,000 and Rs. 62,13,000.

The Health Committee of the Corporation has a special organization for the destruction of mosquitoes, known as the Mosquito Control Department. This was inaugurated with the object of carrying out anti-mosquito measures, and a malaria survey of Calcutta, and in order to pursue the project effectively the city has been divided into 228 sections, each section coming under the attention of the Mosquito Brigade Staff on a fixed day every week.

The Corporation maintains :

A number of vaccination stations in various parts of the city, and employs female vaccinators to vaccinate purdah ladies.

Four Maternity Homes with a lady doctor in charge of each.

Eight Maternity Units adequately staffed by midwives, under the supervision of Lady Health Visitors, whose services are available free of charge to persons of small means.

Eighteen Milk Kitchen Centres, where milk and barley are given free morning and evening to babies up to two and a half years old.

Nineteen Charitable Dispensaries, equipped with the most modern facilities and staffed with competent doctors. Open daily from 8-30 a.m. to 11-30 a.m. and from 4. p.m. to 5-30 p.m.

Thirty-one Ward Health Association Treatment Centres, with a Medical Officer attached to each who looks after the health of his particular ward.

The Corporation controls seventy-two public parks, squares and gardens, excluding the Eden Gardens, the Victoria Memorial Gardens, and the Botanical and Zoological Gardens. The parks are well laid out, some of them being provided with swings and see-saws for juveniles, swimming pools, football grounds and tennis courts for schools and clubs, and pavilions, benches and other attractions for the general public.

The City Fathers are awake to the necessity for education, and maintain at great expense 230 free primary Schools, as well as model schools, night schools for carters and sweepers, and a training school for teachers.

The Corporation publishes a weekly magazine under the name of "The Calcutta Municipal Gazette". It is the official organ of the Corporation, records all important municipal happenings, and conducts propaganda relative to publicity work.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source pages 138-140 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

Young Women's Christian Association (International)

adjoining it [the Madan Theatre in Surendra Nath Banerjee Road] is the handsome building and spacious grounds of the Young Women's Christian Association (International). This famous institution was founded in 1860 with the same primary objects and motives as the Young Men's Christian Association;

it conducts a wide variety of activities, including Educational Classes, Commercial School for Girls, an Employment Bureau, a Physical Training College, a Physical Education Department with gymnasium and recreation classes, and Teachers' Training Classes. The Association offers the following amenities :—Hockey, tennis, basketball, track and field events and a camp for business girls :

it also runs clubs for ladies of all ages and creeds and has a hostel for business girls, known as Gallway House, at No. 1, Middleton Row.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 30 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

Chowringhee Place

Returning to Chowringhee Road and proceeding along, we come to Hotel Continetal (Cabaret nightly) curving round into Chowringhee Place. In Chowringhee Place on the right, within the Grand Hotel building, is the Bengal Stores, Ltd., dealing exclusively with goods of Indian manufacture ; next is the Casanova Restaurant, and directly opposite is the First Empire (Talkie House). With Bertram Street on our right, leading past the New Market to Lindsay Street, we find ourselves standing before the Administrative Headquarters of the Calcutta Corporation, a fine, red brick building overlooking Market Square and the Strand Cinema, formerly the Elphinstone Picture Palace.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 31 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

Grand Hotel

Finding ourselves once more in Chowringhee Road, we step into the Grand Hotel Arcade and passing Bata's and then Frank Ross & Co. Ltd. (Chemists), reach the main entrance of the Grand Hotel Ltd., Calcutta's largest hotel, overlooking the Maidan. The hotel, luxuriously and comfortably equipped, has 500 rooms, a magnificent ballroom to accommodate 2000 people, a handsome dining room, a palm court,  billiard rooms and Prince's and Casanova Restaurants. Cabarets, dances and musical turns are constantly arranged.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 31 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

THE YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION

Head Office :—25, Chowringhee Road.

Trams :—Kalighat, Ballygunge, Tollygunge.

Buses :-2, 2A, 3, 4, 4A, 5, 5A.

Believing in the principle that the best way to attack evil is to make the good attractive, and that the best time to make the effort is before the trouble occurs, the Young Men's Christian Association has been established to help boys and young men to make a whole-hearted endeavour towards building character and acquiring mental and physical alertness.  This is accomplished by bringing together a group or young men in happy and congenial association, as well as by taking care of their spiritual needs.

The movement was started in 1822, under the name of the Calcutta Christian Juvenile Society, but as this nomenclature did not sufficiently express the Society's activities, the name in 1850 was changed to "The Young Men's Christian Association".

As early as 1836, a building was purchased in Bowbazar Street, and in 1879, rooms in the Bible House at Chowringhee were rented for the Association, which, on reorganisation in 1894, removed its headquarters to No. 2 Chowringhee Road. A year later this was removed to No. 16 Sudder Street, at which time, finding it necessary to extend the Association's activities to other localities, the College Branch in College Street and the Bhowanipore Branch were opened.

Increased membership necessitated the expansion. of the College Branch in Overtoun Hall, and in 1902 the Chowringhee Branch was opened at No. 25 Chowringhee Road. In 1903 a Boys' Branch in College Street was started and in 1905 a branch for Anglo-Indians opened in "Wellington House" at No. 51 Dharamtala Street. This, in 1915, was removed to No. 42 Corporation Street and called the "Wellington Branch for Anglo-Indians.";

In the same year the Students' Hostel and Playground at Mechuabazar Street was opened while in 1917 the Ronaldshay Hut was built, and in 1921 Pathsala work for boys started.

Welfare Centres for bustee boys are conducted at Grey street, ParkCircus, Mechuabazar street and Kidderpore, and recently a free Rest Room for the unemployed, furnished with newspapers, magazines and writing materials, and open daily from 12 noon to 5p.m., has been started at No. 25 Chowringhee Road.

The Governor of the Province is the Patron of the Association, which is governed by a President, Vice-President and a Board of Directors.  Each branch has its own Committee of Management and Secretary.

Membership isnopen to men of all natyionalities, irrespective of cast and creed. Every branch is provided with a library and equipped with a reading room, which is open to members daily, except Sundays. The libraries together contain approximately a total of 30,000 volumes.

Cricket, hockey, football, volley-ball, tennis and billiards are playedin all branches: boxing, rink-hockey and skating is also condcted and gymnasium classes are held. There are five swimming baths, where aquatic sports take place annually.

Religious lectures, study clases, devitional meetings and pryers are held in all branches, attendance being voluntary.

The Association controls six hostels located in different parts odf the city, two of which are conducted in the European and four in the Indian style of living.

The Central Branch is used for the meeting of several clubs and Associations, including the Ex-Service Association, the Bengal Hockey Association, the Indian Football Association, and the Bengal Olympic Association.

The Rionaldshay Hut is sectional, being exclusively for British soldiers stationed in Calcutta and Barrackpore.  Memebership is free and the ammeneties include the free use of a library , a piano, a gramophone and indoor and outdoor games.  Billiards is provided at a nominal fee of four annas per half hour. Subscription for tennis is Rs. 2/- per month, inclusive of rackets, balls an fielders. Dances are held every Tuesday, admission, including light refreshments, being eight annas for members and four annas for ladies.

The Association receives no financial assistance from outside Calcutta, with the exception of the free services of a secretary from Canada. It contributes s. 3,600/- annually to the National council, which runs four Rural Re-construction centres and supervises and assists smaller associations in India.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source pages117-119  of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

Sudder Street

Down Sudder Street on the right at No. 1, is an entrance to the offices of the Geological, Archaeological, Zoological, Botanic and Art Departments of the Indian Museum.  No. 2, is the Salvation Army Naval and Military Home; and lower down is Chowringhee Lane leading to Kyd Street, Tottie Lane and Stewart Lane leading to Marquis Street. On the left are the Wesleyan English Methodist Church and Day School, Madge Lane and Hartford Lane leading to Lindsay Street.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 31-32 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

THE INDIAN MUSEUM

Admission :—The Museum is open from 10 a. m. to 5 p. m. daily, except on Thursdays, when it is open from 12 noon to 5 p. m.

Admission is free except on Fridays, when a charge of four annas is levied. Students with student tickets are exempted.

About 18,00,000 people visit the Museum annually.

Trams :—Kalighat, Ballygunge, Tollygunge.

Buses :—2, 2A, 3, 4, 4A, 5.

The Indian Museum, an imposing massive building with a frontage of over 300 feet along Chowringhee Road and side entrances on Sudder and Kyd Streets, owes its existence to the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal. This Society had collected many relics, curiosities and antiquities, but as it had no permanent building to house them, the Government in 1805 granted the Society a gift of land Mahasthan, Bogra and Paharpur. On the right of the room are more cases of antiquities : Case 11, prehistoric objects from Bhita, Allahabad ; Case 12, antiquities from Assam and Burma ; Cases 13, 13A and 13B, ancient bronze images ; Cases 14, 14A and 14B, antiquities from Makram, Baluchistan; Cases 15 and 16, Iron Age pottery, implements and other objects from Iron Age sites in the Madras Presidency ; Case 17, prehistoric copper implements and silver objects from the United Provinces and the Central Provinces. Other cases contain collections of Buddhist bronze images from Negapatam and Brahmanic images—Nataraja, Parvati, Vishnu and Subrahmanya—from South India.

Down the centre of the Gallery are 14 glass table cases exhibiting Palaeolithic, Neolithic and Chalcolithic objects—plaques, coins, beads, seals, ivory, stone and metal fragments, and terracotta figures—from Taxila, Bodh Gaya and other parts of India and Burma. In one of the cases is exhibited an elephant tusk with six tiers of seated figures of Buddha carved on, found at Burma, and in another, a lama, Vaishravona and Bodhesattya, from the Port of Diwangiri, Assam.

Among the larger exhibits is an Assamese Brass Drum, 4 feet across and 3% feet high; a glass case containing an Egyptian Mummy, about 2000 B. C.; and a huge stone coffer which contained Buddhist relics, exhibited on a glass table case nearby. This coffer was excavated from the stupa at Piprahwa, District Basti, U. P. A beautiful oil painting illustrating an incident in the life of Buddha, adorns the wall. In the southern end of the room, known as the Inscription Gallery, are displayed a wide collection of Sanskrit and Prakrit inscriptions, ranging from the beginning of the Christian era to the 16th century : one of the most interesting exhibits here is a large clay cast of a Chinese Nestorian Monument at Sian-Fu, dated 781 A. D., giving an abstract of the Christian Faith and the history of the Nestorian Mission, a copy of which is in the Lateran Palace, Rome.

A staircase at the extreme end leads to the Coin Room, (admission by permission); this room is lined with safes and strong cabinets, containing wide collections of Indian coins. The Emerald Bow-ring and Cup of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan, which Nadir Shah carried away from Delhi in 1739, is also preserved here.

Retracing our steps to the Gandhara Room, we pass into the Gupta Gallery.  Here, in successive bays, are exhibited, in chronological order, specimens of sculptures produced by different schools of art that flourished in India and Indonesia from the beginning of the Christian era to about 1200 A. D. Sculptures of the Mathura School are in bays 1 and 20 ; reliefs from the Buddhist Stupa at Amaravati, and Gupta sculptures from Siva's temple in Nagod State, in bays 2 and 19 ; sculptures from Sarnath, in bays 3 and 18 ; sculptures from Benares and Sutna, in bays 4 and 17, and those of the Magadha period (750-1200 A.D.) in bays 5 to 8 ; Brahamanic sculptures from Bengal and Bihar, in bays 13 to 16; Jain images and Buddhistic sculptures from Orissa, in bays 9 and 12, while images from Java occupy bay 10. Carvings of gods and goddesses and a fine miniature replica of the Mahabodhi shrine at Bodh Gaya are displayed down the centre of the gallery.

The farther end of the Gupta Gallery is known as the Moslem Gallery : here are exhibited a large collection of Arabic and Persian inscriptions, farmans, sanads; carved architectural curiosities; and enamelled tiles from Baluchistan, Persia, Lahore and Hyderabad. Of absorbing interest here is a fine 15th century faience vase, dug up by British soldiers in Baghdad.  In the central cases are many historical exhibits, including a farman from the Emperor Akbar, dated 1558, a letter from Aurangzeb, written in 1668, a farman of Alamgir II, a Persian edict of Dara Shikoh, and a beautifully-illuminated copy of the Koran, dating from 1658, with a miniature of it alongside. Sketches of ruins at Gour, Jaunpore and Rajmahal adorn the walls. From this gallery a door leads to the verandahs enclosing the inner court, where are arranged a large collection of sculptures from all over India. The Museum Office, the Refreshment Rooms and the lavatory are in the western corridor.

Returning to the vestibule, we turn left and enter the Geological Section, the first gallery of which is devoted to vertebrate fossils. There are over 60,000 specimens on view, and this number is being added to annually. Most or the specimens have been collected from that rich storehouse of Tertiary vertebrates, the Siwalik beds along the foothills of the Himalayas. The exhibits include full-length skeletons of the tortoise-like Clyptodon Typus, the egg-laying Di'nornis Elephantopus, and a gigantic Megatherium Cuvieri. Of no lesser interest is a remarkable cranium of Giganteum Mastodon and a magnificent head of Stegodon Ganesa, complete with 10-foot-long curving tusks. In the cases lining the walls are casts of Peking, Rhodesian, Heidelberg, Piltdown and modern man, also skeletal fragments of foreign Tertiary mammalia. In glass cases down the centre of the room may be seen fossil bones and teeth of Indian horses (Pleistocene Age), deer, giraffes, camels and the smaller carnivora.  Of profound interest here is a case displaying the jaws of a Miocene ape, compared with those of prehistoric man and the orang-outang.  On the right side of the room are wallcases containing bones of crocodiles, oxen, hippopotami, rhinoceroses, etc., of the Pliocene and Oligocene Miocene periods.

In the adjoining room are several cases illustrating aspects of physical and petrographical geology and volcanic igneous rocks. Here in a glass case on the left is a large piece of flexible sandstone, one of the wonders of nature; next are cases showing the passage of coal into coke, para leaves, infiltrations, ingots of aluminium, basalt, bauxite, white kaolin, quartz crystals, iron and the simulation of organic forms.  Down the centre of the room in glass cases is a wide collection of aerolites, meteorites and chrondites, considered to be the largest in Asia and one of the most important in the world, on account of the number, variety, beauty and rarity of its specimens. On the right are dendritic markings of beautiful ferns on sandstones, and higher up, cases of Manganese and Metamorphic rocks; also a model of a barren volcanic island.

From this room we pass into the Minerals, Rocks and Economics Section. Here on the left are fine specimens of beryls, gold washing troughs, sticks, sieves, trays, Indian gold, reef gold, "wash dirt" and foreign gold; also exhibits of limestone, clay, slate, sandstone, quartzite, talc schist, copper, gneiss and gneissose granite. Prominently displayed is a remarkable tin splash and cubes of coloured rock salt. At the end of the gallery are fine examples of Indian paintings on mica, and a large crystal of potash alum, while on the right are specimens of white marble, ornamental stones from Madras, Rajputana, Bombay and Burma, a statue of Buddha, and a black marble vase inset with coloured marble flowers.  Lower down is a very large slab of slate from Rewari, sample bags of coal from Raniganj, Jheria, and other Indian coalfields and a case of hornblende asbestos from Singbhum; while further on are shown asbestos yarn for packing steam pipes, etc., asbestos filtering cloth for chemicals, and a miniature model of a rig used in the Burma coalfields. In the centre of the gallery are cases of metals—amalgam, silver, lead, platinum, etc.

Passing out into the verandah, we inspect fossil tree trunks, blocks of limestone, marble, sandstone and slate, and turning left enter the Insect Gallery. Here on the left, are arranged species ofMyriapoda, Crustacea and Arachnida —crop pests, beetles, butterflies, scorpions, spiders, etc. In the corner of the room is a case showing a model of a bee and a cattle tick, while on the right are cases of a large variety of insects—coleoptera, orthoptera, lepidoptera and termites; also cases exhibiting—enlarged and dissected— the common fly, flea, silk worm, anopheles mosquito, etc. In the central glass cases are displayed fine specimens of nests of the White-Ant and the Common Hornet of Bengal, labelled to explain the mode of life of these insects.

From this room we ascend a flight of wide steps and enter the Ethnographical Section, containing exhibits illustrating the life and habits of the primitive tribes of India, and particular aspects of Indian life and culture. On the left are collections of daoes and head casts from the Khasia, Jaintia and Naga Hills, and, arranged at intervals, three large cases of life-size clay figures illustrative of the different races of India; there are also models of villages of Bengal and the United Provinces; cases of bangles from all parts of India and domestic utensils of .brass, stone, wood, clay, cane, etc. Down the centre is a glass case extending nearly the length of the room, displaying life-size clay figures ofGaros, Khasis, Mikirs, Manipuris, Nagas, Mishmis, Daflas, Abors, Nicobarese, Andamanese, etc., with implements and objects illustrative of their lives. On the right of this gallery are goldsmiths' and carpenters' tools, weaving apparatus, models of sugar and oil mills, and a scapegoat on which is placed all the sickness of a village. Further up are cases of necklaces, writing materials, toys, masks, mythological figures, Puja articles, a model of Kali Puja Bari, and another case of clay figures of the races of India, while directly overhead hang a number of dugouts.

In the next gallery are exhibited mats, palm leaf fans, string bags, grinding and winnowing machines, oil lamps, household articles, hookhas, personal ornaments, garments, and a case of valuable Indian musical instruments presented by Maharaja S. M. Tagore. In the central cases are fishing traps, nets, quaint musical instruments, arrows, spears, shields, guns, swords, armour and battleaxes ; and on the right, dugouts, catamarans, models of sailing boats, brass and iron cannons, shoes, agricultural implements, and utensils and garments from the Northern and Southern Shan States. Of particular interest are models of a Burning Ghat in Bengal and of a Parsee Tower of Silence, with explanations of their working.

Again we find our way to the Insect Gallery; emerging and crossing the verandah, we enter the Invertebrate Gallery. Here, on the right, are a series of cases illustrating the gradual development in complexity of animal forms, from the non-cellular Protozoa, through the Porifera and Coelenterata to the Mollusca. On the opposite side are cases displaying the anatomy and development of worms. Among the outstanding exhibits displayed in the centre of the room are fine examples of "Neptune's Cup" sponges, a case illustrating the amazing and beautiful variety of forms found among reef-forming corals, and cases exhibiting the three groups of Echinodermata. In bays on either side are exhibits showing Symbiosis and Parasitism, while photographs lining the walls illustrate the manner in which coral islands are formed and transformed.

Returning to the vestibule, we note in the second bay a colossal female statue from Besnagar and three large Yaksha statues from the ruins of ancient Bihar and Madura. Staircases on the left and right lead to the upper floor; the one on the left is adorned with a glass case of Japanese musical instruments, a gift from the late Emperor of Japan to Maharajah S. M. Tagore, that on the right with a bust of Rai Bahadur 0. M. Mitter, a former Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Museum ; also a brass plate in memory of Sir C. A. Elliot, Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, 1891-95. Ascending by either staircase we gain the landing, in the centre of which is a fine white marble statue of Queen Victoria, presented by Mahtab Chand Bahadur and A.C. Mahtab, Maharajahs of Burdwan, to commemorate Queen Victoria's assumption of the title of Empress of India in 1877. Directly behind is the library of the Zoological Survey of India, (entrance by permission only).

The verandahs to the left and right of the landing are lined with statues of gods and goddesses. Proceeding by the one on the left, we pass a brass tablet to Dr. T. N. Annandale, Director, Zoological Survey of India, and turning right, reach the Invertebrate Fossil Gallery. At the entrance is a bust of Ferdinand Stoliczka, of the Geological Survey of India, by Geflowiski, and immediately behind a huge skeleton of Colossochelys Alias. This Gallery contains fossil plants and limestone fossils from deposits and strata of the Eocene, Upper Cretaceous, Middle Cretaceous, Upper Oolite, Pliocene, Oligocene and Miocene periods; of particular interest are specimens from Gondwara and Spiti, valuable for stratigraphical purposes. High up on the walls are reproductions of an ichthyosaurus with footprints, a mastodon, a dactylis gracilis and the protohippus—the five-toed ancestor of the horse—and other prehistoric mammals.

Turning to the left we see the largest dinosaur shoulder blade ever unearthed (found at Jubbulpore). The case to the left of this gigantic relic contains bones of crocodiles, reptiles, molluscs, etc., while on the right of the room is the skeleton of a Moose (Ireland).

The next room reached from the same verandah contains small animals, Monotremata, Marsupialia, Chiroptera, — bats, shrews, opossums, moles, duck-billed platypus, wolves and kangaroos; also specimens of Rodentia: rats, mice, rabbits, porcupines, etc. In the centre is a glass case with two divisions : in one, the right forelimb of a man is compared with those of an orang-outang, leopard, pig, rhinoceros, and horse; in the other, a skeleton of a tiger is compared with that of a dolphin : there is also a collection of mammals' teeth.

From this room we pass into the Industrial Section, the nucleus of which was the Bengal Economic Museum, established in 1872. The exhibits range as follows:- on the left—different woods, nuts, seeds, roots, edible fungi, beans, gourds and clay models of fruits, such as patol, pineapple, citrons and fruits used as vegetables. Next are medicinal products, lacquer work, oil from nuts and plants, gums, resins, and cross-sections of trees. Further down we pass dyes, fodder, tobacco, opium and more fruit and wood. In the centre of the room are exhibited paddy, rice, wheat, the cultivation and manufacture of arrowroot, the different pulses, fibres, jute, hemp, cloth, silk, match-making, indigo plantation, lac manufacture, etc. Passing into the two small rooms, at the end of the Gallery, we see specimens of mats, baskets, toilet requisites, ivory carvings, carved wood for printing sarees and cloth patterns, printing appliances, books, blocks of coloured salt, maize seeds, etc. The smallest and last room of this section contains tea and tea machinery, agricultural implements, and specimens of Indian and foreign woods.

Finding ourselves once more in the verandah, we enter the large Mammal Gallery. Here, on the left, are arranged mounted specimens of seals, walruses, leopards, tigers, lions, monkeys and a glass case containing human skeletons. In a case at the farthest end of the gallery, a skeleton of a man is compared with those of apes and a gorilla. On the right we see a collection of rhinoceroses, asses, deer, yak, boars and a new-born elephant. In the centre are elephant, rhinoceros, camel, horse and gayal skeletons, a dugong, a stuffed giraffe, a realistically mounted albino tiger, and a case of Cetacea (porpoises and dolphins), including the Gangetic fresh water porpoise, Platanista Qangetic. Overhead is a skeleton of the rare smaller Indian Fin-whale.

Emerging from this gallery and proceeding along the south corridor, we enter the Bird and Reptile Section, the left half of which is devoted to birds, and the right to amphibians and reptiles. In the bird section we inspect collections of tropical birds—tits, finches, hornbills, an illuminated case of cranes in their natural surroundings, cassowaries, ostriches, kiwi, ducks, swans, ibis, etc. Down the centre show-cases  exhibiting specimens  of beautiful

Darjeeling birds, courting birds, cranes, penguins, domesticated fowls, pigeons, an aquatic scene, the forelimb of a crocodile compared with the wings of an ostrich, and the wings of a flying bird compared with those of nonflying types. Turning to the Reptile and Amphibians division, we note specimens of vipers, kraits, cobras, pythons, and a tray of articles (bangles, rings, etc., weighing 15 Ibs. 14 oz.), found in the stomach of a crocodile. Next in order are arranged lizards, frogs, chameleons, newts and skeletons of turtles. In the centre are three very fine specimens of Indian crocodiles, two being gharials and one a true mugger, a leathery turtle ( Dermochelys Coriacea), and the only tailed amphibian extant (Tyiototritori): also cases of rays and sharks, including a very fine specimen of the largest Indian ray (Trygon Microps).

To the west of the Reptile Section is the Fish Gallery. Cases along the walls show primitive chordates, such as Balanoglossus, Sea-squirts, Amphioxus and Lambrys, also the different species of fish found in Indian waters—the porcupine, mosquito-destroying, deep sea, hill stream, aquarium and coral reef fishes. Special attention should be directed to the giant sea perch and the smallest known Indian fish—Ctenogobius Alcocki. The large central cases display skates, rays and swodr fishes, while the illuminated glass case near the door of the Art Gallery shows the goggle-eyed fish.

A doorway to the left of this room gives access to the Art Gallery, a regular feast of Oriental splendour. On the right photographs of the more important items are for sale. On both sides of the room and in the central show-cases are exhibited durries and fine carpets from Bokhara, Persia, and Tibet; beautiful shawls from Kashmir, Amritsar and Murshidabad; silver and gold worked sarees of varying hues and exquisite patterns; Tibetan coats; quilts from Sind, Benares and Cuttack ; gauze and muslin from Dacca, Madras, Bihar ; and an infinite variety of silk and cotton fabrics. The white muslin chapkan, finely embroidered in gold, worn by Emperor Aurangzeb and given to one of his attendants as a reward after victory, is also on view. In the southern half of this gallery are arranged large fragments of enamel-tile mosaic from Herat, a brilliant glass mosaic shrine from Rangoon, a finely carved wooden model of an ancient temple fromBurdwan and a brass model from Benares, a house-front from Kathiawar, a copper gilt figure of Padanpani from Tibet, old pieces of china of the Ming dynasty, and a large collection of carving, porcelainware and brass work of all ages and places. The central piece, a marvel of Burmese Art, is the massive and gorgeous gilded Hlutdaw or State Council Throne of Thibaw, King of Burma (1878-1885), presented by Lord Curzon. At the end of the Gallery in a separate room are exhibited the Nahar collection of tapestries, photographs, ivory carvings, drawings, china, metalware, and other objects of art and interest.

From the Art Gallery, twin marble staircases lead to the Picture Gallery on the third floor. Ascending by the one on the left, adorned with a varied and valuable collection of tapestries, ivory carvings, metal and china-ware, porcelain, clay figures and examples of Tibetan saddlery, we gain the Picture Gallery, where a rich profusion of paintings, representing the skill of various schools of Indian, Tibetan and Eastern art in general, are on view.

A feature of this Gallery is the large number of beautifully-executed Tibetan mythological and historical drawings and paintings.

Among such a galaxy of talent, it is difficult to single out individual exhibits: the following, however, may be •mentioned:

"Defeat and Death of Darius", " Jehangir and his Wife Hunting", " Travellers around a Camp-fire ", " A Nautch Party at the Court of Sultan Muhammed Taglak", "Old Woman Begging" and "Deer Hunting by Night".

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source pages 105-114 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

THE INDIAN MUSEUM

THE INDIAN MUSEUM : This immense and noble building with a frontage of over 800 ft., standing on the corner of Chowrighee Road and Sudder Street, houses a remarkable collection of Indian archaelogical antiquities and sculptures, arts and crafts and several branches of natural history. It is now closed to the public.

(source: “A Guide Book to Calcutta, Agra, Delhi, Karachi and Bombay” The American Red Cross and the China-Burma-India-Command. [1943]:  at: http://cbi-theater-2.home.comcast.net/redcross/red-cross-india.html#INDIA)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with the original submitter/author)

 

THE BENGAL GOVERNMENT INDUSTRIAL MUSEUM

Admission :—Free.

Open daily from 12 noon to 8 p.m.

On Sundays from 4 p.m. to 8-30 p.m.

Entirely closed on Fridays.

This Museum, accommodated in a striking building, "The White House", at 21 Chittaranjan Avenue was organised under the able guidance and direction of Mr. S. C. Mitter, Director of Industries, and formally opened by the Hon'ble Mr. N.R. Sarker, Finance Minister, Bengal, on the 18th March 1939.

The primary aim of this Institution is to collect and exhibit specimens of the best products of the arts, crafts and industries of the country and of agricultural products used as raw material, thus providing a permanent centre where producers and consumers alike can turn for information, inspiration and guidance.

The Museum functions as a definite and vital link between production and marketing and bridges the gap that hitherto existed between the consumer and producer. It serves to bring to the former the knowledge of products made in the country, as also to enable the latter to know whether his products are competitive in price, quality and design, and how far these products could be improved on and made equally attractive, or if possible superior, to similar goods produced in other countries.

The exhibits are arranged on three floors. On the ground floor are machinery, steel furniture, leather and rubber goods : on the first floor, Cottage Industries and models of E. I. Railway carriages and of P. & 0. and B. I. sail and steam ships. In one case a P. & 0, 206-ton sailing ship of 1837 is compared with  a 23,000-ton modern liner of 1937. On the second floor are displayed chemicals, perfumery and agricultural products.

To the Museum is attached a reference library, opened from 12 noon to 7 p.m. and an Enquiry Bureau which is entirely at the disposal of the public free of charge. The Enquiry Bureau provides reliable information, answers all correspondence and endeavours to put potential buyers in touch with manufacturers.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 114 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

Government School of Art

At the corner of Chowringhee Road and Sudder Street stands the Indian Museum, housing the Government School of Art in its southern wing. This institution, established in 1865, is maintained by the Government of Bengal. It is under the control of the Director of Public Instruction, Bengal, through a Governing Body appointed by Government. The object of the School is to teach the Fine Arts, Decorative Arts and Crafts, and to provide instruction in Commercial Drawing, Painting and Design. The School also trains Drawing Masters for educational institutions.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 32 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

United Service Club

Next to the School of Art is the United Service Club Limited, a building of distinctive architecture, erected in 1905 by Mackintosh Burn Ltd. The Club was founded in 1845 and is open to members of the Services.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 32 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

Kyd Street

By the side [of the United Service Club] runs Kyd Street leading to Free School Street.  At No. 1, Kyd Street is Palace Court, a fine block of residential flats, accommodating the Headquarters of the Girl Guides Association of Bengal and the Bengal Presidency Council of Women. On the left is an entrance to the offices of the different departments of the Museum, next is the British Indian Engineers' Club and higher up Chowringhee Lane.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 32 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

 

 

          _____Memories of 1940s Calcutta_______________________

 

 

Traffic on Chowringhee

Fear of Japanese raids had driven ships away from the Hooghli, but the traffic on Chowringhee was still promiscuous with honking lorries, pattering rickshaws, lumbering bullock carts, and curious cabs with louvred shutters. Dazed cattle had the right of way and I was all but lynched for colliding with a cow. Rotting garbage overflowed from tins and besmeared the pavements. Enormous rats proliferated. The stark skeleton of a holy man with a chain round his genitals stepped superciliously through the crowd and a dhoti-clad Bengali held an umbrella over his head when it started to rain. The holy man's expression struck me as more self-conscious than aloof.

Harold Acton, RAF airforce officer. Calcutta, early 1940s.
(source: page 115-6 Harold Acton: More memoirs of an Aesthete. London Methuen, 1970)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with Harold Acton)

 

 

 

 

 

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New Market

 

 

 

          _____Pictures of 1940s Calcutta________________________

 

Calcutta's New Market

41

Probably the largest market in the East is the New Market.  Covering several blocks in the downtown area, the 2,000 stalls offer most anything you could ask for, wartime shortages excepted.  In addition to all the items appealing to the local and tourist trade, the market contains giant food departments.

Clyde Waddell, US military man, personal press photographer of Lord Louis Mountbatten, and news photographer on Phoenix magazine. Calcutta, mid 1940s

(source: webpage http://oldsite.library.upenn.edu/etext/sasia/calcutta1947/?  Monday, 16-Jun-2003 / Reproduced by courtesy of David N. Nelson, South Asia Bibliographer, Van Pelt Library, University of Pennsylvania)

G.I.s shopping

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A couple of GI's consider the purchase of trinkets for the girl friend, harassed by the ever-present plea for "Baksheesh, Sahib", "You American Rajah", "No food, no money, no poppa".

Clyde Waddell, US military man, personal press photographer of Lord Louis Mountbatten, and news photographer on Phoenix magazine. Calcutta, mid 1940s

(source: webpage http://oldsite.library.upenn.edu/etext/sasia/calcutta1947/?  Monday, 16-Jun-2003 / Reproduced by courtesy of David N. Nelson, South Asia Bibliographer, Van Pelt Library, University of Pennsylvania)

 

Stall in New Market

43

Brassware and Gurkha knives are two of the most popular souvenir purchases made by soldiers.  Bargaining is the rule and only the sucker pays the fist price asked.  The New Market is alive with stalls like this.

Clyde Waddell, US military man, personal press photographer of Lord Louis Mountbatten, and news photographer on Phoenix magazine. Calcutta, mid 1940s

(source: webpage http://oldsite.library.upenn.edu/etext/sasia/calcutta1947/?  Monday, 16-Jun-2003 / Reproduced by courtesy of David N. Nelson, South Asia Bibliographer, Van Pelt Library, University of Pennsylvania)

 

G.I.s on Calcutta street

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After a couple of years in India, the bizarre aspects of street life become commonplace to the average soldier, as evidenced by the scant notice given the passing snake-wallah by the GI at right bargaining for a shine from one of he city's hundreds of bootblacks.  The New American Kitchen is a popular Chinese restaurant, owned by a Portuguese, and serves up a steak of chop suey before you can say "Teek hai".

Clyde Waddell, US military man, personal press photographer of Lord Louis Mountbatten, and news photographer on Phoenix magazine. Calcutta, mid 1940s

(source: webpage http://oldsite.library.upenn.edu/etext/sasia/calcutta1947/?  Monday, 16-Jun-2003 / Reproduced by courtesy of David N. Nelson, South Asia Bibliographer, Van Pelt Library, University of Pennsylvania)

 

 

Sidewalk performer

16

Crowd gathers round a sidewalk performer at bus stop while GI's take temporary advantage of an overhead view from steps of a camp bus.  This is a good post for hawkers, beggars, shoe shine boys, showmen to work on the bankroll of the 'rich American soldier'.

Clyde Waddell, US military man, personal press photographer of Lord Louis Mountbatten, and news photographer on Phoenix magazine. Calcutta, mid 1940s

(source: webpage http://oldsite.library.upenn.edu/etext/sasia/calcutta1947/?  Monday, 16-Jun-2003 / Reproduced by courtesy of David N. Nelson, South Asia Bibliographer, Van Pelt Library, University of Pennsylvania)

 

 

          _____Contemporary Records of or about 1940s Calcutta___

 

Humayun Place

The end of the arcade brings us to Humayun Place leading to the New Market. In Humayun Place are two of Calcutta's leading cinemas, the New Empire and the newly erected Lighthouse.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 31 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

SIR STUART HOGG MARKET

New Market

The original and main block of this market, named after Sir Stuart Hogg, Justice of the Peace, was completed in 1874 at a cost of Rs. 6,55,277/- inclusive of the land. The extension on the east was completed in 1909, during the Chairmanship of Sir Charles G. H. Alien, at a total cost of Rs. 11,53,388/-. This spacious red brick building, with its handsome clock tower, houses a multitude of shops and is owned by the Corporation of Calcutta.

The New Market in Calcutta is said to be the only one of its kind in the world. It is not only a centre for the sale of Indian produce, but is international in the variety of goods it displays. Manufactured articles, fruits and a wide range of miscellaneous commodities, from all quarters and odd corners of the globe, testify to the uniqueness of this market. Practically everything, as the saying goes, " from a pin to an anchor", is available here. To take the case of fresh fruits: owing to Calcutta's favourable geographical position, and the varying incidence of the seasons in the different countries from. which Calcutta draws supplies, fresh fruits grown in widely different climates, thousands of miles away, are readily available in this market throughout the year.

The New Market is situated in the very heart of the city. Entering Lindsay Street from Chowringhee Road and proceeding, we come in sight of the Market. Immediately on the left, at the junction of Bertram Street and Lindsay Street, is a covered stand where cycles are kept in charge of an attendant, on payment of a small fee.  In the centre of the roadway, along the market frontage, are parked private cars and engaged taxis; across the roadway at the entrance to Madge Lane, by the side of the Globe Cinema, is a stand for taxi-cabs; while hackney carriages are lined on the east in Fenwick Bazar Street, and rickshaws on the north in Hogg Street.

Just before entering the Market by the main entrance under the porch, we note shops on both sides dealing in carpets, silks, silverware, jewellery, curios, etc., leading to the tobacconists on the left and to the florists on the right. Entering the main corridor and turning left, we pass toilet requisite and stationery shops, and come to the bookstalls ; passing these and turning right, we see more toilet requisite and stationery shops, then the china and glassware shops. The second range from the main corridor, also containing toilet requisite and stationery shops, brings us to the watchmakers and jewellers, and turning right we pass more toilet requisite and stationery shops and then the hardware and aluminium stalls.

Returning to the main corridor, we note on the right two ranges of shops corresponding to those on the left. Going through the first, we pass a number of miscellaneous shops, dealing chiefly in fancy goods, linoleum, oilcloth, toilet requisites and novelties ; and passing on the left a range of shops dealing in coloured silks, curios and a wide range of assorted goods, we come to the shoe shops and florists, and then to dealers in sporting goods. In the second range, known as "Suit Case Range", are dealers in leather and steel trunks, suit-cases and travelling requisites, while a turn to the left brings us to more miscellaneous shops, after which come the confectioners.

Back to the main corridor and proceeding along, we note attractively arranged shops dealing in jewellery, silver and electroplated ware, fancy goods, coloured silks and fine dress materials ; and passing the Market Office, the Public Telephone Call Office, and a line of hosiery and haberdashery shops, we reach the centre of the market. This is octagonal in shape, the supporting pillars being enclosed in display advertisement cases. Here are weighing machines, a central glass kiosk and the Market Fire Station. Turning down the corridor on the left, which leads to Bertram Street, we pass shops dealing in readymade dresses and underwear, the Ladies' Cloak Room and the Gentlemen's Lavatory. At the end of the corridor, on the right, are two ranges, one devoted to fresh and dried fruits and the other to shoes, hosiery and haberdashery.

Returning to the centre of the Market and turning right, we pass shops dealing in drapery, readymade clothes and bedding, and turning left, we gain the ranges given over to cheese, butter, ghee, chutnies, condiments, preserves, and cubicles for light refreshments. A doorway on the left gives access to the Milk Block, while right at the. end are the bakers.

Finding our way once more to the centre of the Market, and proceeding along the main corridor, we pass more hosiery, drapery and haberdashery shops, and reach the last corridor running east and west. On the west are toys and games, with a passage on the right leading to the ribbons and laces ; while on the east are the hatters, with a passage on the left giving access to the Chinese shoemakers.

Along the remaining portion of the main corridor we pass cloth merchants, and come to the range occupied by dealers in dress materials and household linen. Continuing our way along, we pass a number of shops and stalls of miscellaneous goods, such as haberdashery, toys, crockery, hosiery, lace, ribbons, etc., etc., and enter the block known as the "German Market" ; the western half of this is devoted to the sale of fresh fruits, with an exit on Bertram Street, and the eastern half to haberdashery, toys, shoes, hosiery, etc., with an exit on Hogg Street.

To the east of the main Market, and separated from it by a passage running north to south, is a block given over to mutton, suet, dripping and beef. Farther east and running parallel to it, is a similar block devoted to eggs, greengrocery and local fruits, such as plantains, papayas, pomelos, pineapples and the like. The passage to the east of this block is lined with shops dealing in oilman stores, spices and condiments.

Leaving this passage by any of the gates on the east, we gain Fenwick Bazar Street, the western side of which is lined with shops dealing in oilman stores, bamboo and caneware. On the eastern side is the Potato Block, with a doorway at the rear giving access to the Fish Market. To the south of the Potato Block, and separated from it by a roadway running from Fenwick Bazar Street to Free School Street, is the Poultry Block and dealers in birds, animals and pork.

At the north-east corner of the Market, across Hogg Street and within easy reach of the bakers, greengrocers and Meat Blocks, is a large block temporarily given over to fresh fruits, greengrocery, spices and condiments.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source pages 141-146 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

splendid system of municipal markets

In its splendid system of municipal markets, also, Calcutta has an outstanding claim on the attention of the student of civic affairs. Every district has a market, and every market is more or less a distinct reflection of the unique Sir Stuart Hogg Market, a market which is not only a centre for the sale of local produce, or even the produce of the whole country, but one for which almost the whole world is indented upon for fruits, manufactured goods and a wide variety of miscellaneous commodities.

Surely there is no such market in the world where. In an hour'a shopping, one can buy fruits from Persia, "Iraq and Afghanistan, yes, and from California, Tasmania and Spain, too,—from wherever fruits are grown; buy textiles from Lancashire and Yorkshire ; footwear from Northampton; tugs from Bokhara; alumimumware from America; silks and curios from China and Japan; tobacco from Virginia, Cuba and Egypt; jams and tinned fruits from Australia and New Zealand, potted delicacies from Europe; hardware and cutlery, toilet requisites and stationery, ebony and ivorywork, in fact, almost anything from anywhere.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 3 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

NEW MARKET

NEW MARKET : Probably the largest market in the East and one where anything under the sun can be purchased, from a baby bear to a pair of shoe laces. Situated on Lindsay Street, it comprises over 2,000 stalls with goods from nearly every country in the world. The remarkable feature of the New Market is that all the stalls, stores and shops are grouped in sections, each section selling only one particular line of goods, which makes it unnecessary for a person to wander aimlessly from one end of the market to the other seeking a particular article.

(source: “A Guide Book to Calcutta, Agra, Delhi, Karachi and Bombay” The American Red Cross and the China-Burma-India-Command. [1943]:  at: http://cbi-theater-2.home.comcast.net/redcross/red-cross-india.html#INDIA)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with the original submitter/author)

 

 

 

          _____Memories of 1940s Calcutta_______________________

 

 

We had heard about it so were anxious to go there first.

My first rickshaw ride was from the Red Cross to the New Market. We had heard about it so were anxious to go there first. […]

I understand there was a disasterous fire at the New Market some time ago, but that it is now back in full operation. I'm glad, for Calcutta just wouldn't be Calcutta without the New Market. In fact, right in front of me as I write are two nicely carved, sandalwood images, one of Kali and the other of, I think, Krishna, both mementos of the New Market. They are on a shelf just above my eye level right now, great reminders of a city that tended to grow on those of us who were fortunate enough to get to know it quite personally.

Glenn Hensley, Photography Technician with US Army Airforce, Summer 1944

(source: a series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley)

 

Everything a person could ever need was available there

[…] the New Market. It seems everything a person could ever need was available there.

Glenn Hensley, Photography Technician with US Army Airforce, Summer 1944

(source: a series of E-Mail interviews with Glenn Hensley between 12th June 2001 and 28th August 2001)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced by permission of Glenn Hensley)

 

Dressed as civilians we bargained

We were now free to buy things that we would want when we got back to England. Cutlery was easy to pack. Towels were also a good buy, also rugs. Dressed as civilians we bargained for these sitting on the floor of the market shops. David was very good at Urdu, the universally understood local language, as he had passed an army exam in it when he first arrived in India. This is why we got a lot of what we bought to take home at a very reasonable price. The shop owners thought we were civilians.

Kitty Calcutt, Nurse, Kalimpong Calcutta, October 1945

(source: A1307026 Wartime Memories of a Nurse at BBC WW2 People's War' on http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/ Oct 2006)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with the original submitter/author)

 

This of course is nothing to do with pigs

Just off this street was a large covered market where there were stalls which sold practically everything — except motor cars and ships — and this place is called Hogg's Market. This of course is nothing to do with pigs, although some of the smells reminded Daddy of these animals. After looking round nearly all the stalls Daddy noticed the prices of the things were a good deal higher than in Bombay, but the boxes were cheaper, and after looking at quite a number he bought one, and while he waited an Indian printed on the lid his number, rank, name and also R.A.F.

Leonard Charles Irvine, 4393843, Royal Air Force Flt Sgt Nav, Calcutta, 1945

(source: Leonard Charles Irvine "A LETTER TO MY SON" at BBC WW2 People's War' on http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/ Oct 2006)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with the original submitter/author)

 

Daddy and the box

Just off this street was a large covered market where there were stalls which sold practically everything — except motor cars and ships — and this place is called Hogg's Market. This of course is nothing to do with pigs, although some of the smells reminded Daddy of these animals. After looking round nearly all the stalls Daddy noticed the prices of the things were a good deal higher than in Bombay, but the boxes were cheaper, and after looking at quite a number he bought one, and while he waited an Indian printed on the lid his number, rank, name and also R.A.F.

Daddy was then faced with the problem of getting this big box back to the camp, so he called a coolie who carried it outside and then went off to find a rickshaw. In due course back he came with one, and Daddy told the rickshaw puller where to go and then settled down quietly in his seat with the big box on his knees. Now, it was almost three miles back to the camp, and as it was dark the heat of the day had nearly all gone, and it was very pleasant going along slowly and sometimes fairly quickly when the rickshaw puller had enough breath. It was also very quiet except for the traffic, because the wheels of the rickshaw had rubber on them like Gillian's pram wheels. After floating along for about an hour it was apparent that the puller did'nt know where he was — and still less where Daddy's camp was — Here was a pretty kettle of fish because there were not many people about, and it was dark, and quite a strange place to your Daddy, and moreover he could'nt speak very much Urdu or Hindustani — which are the languages of the Indians — or, at least most of them. However Daddy knew from the general direction in which he had come that he could'nt be a long way from the camp, so off the rickshaw puller went making a circular tour round the neighbourhood. After about another hour we were fortunate to meet an Indian who could speak English, and who knew where the camp was, so it was'nt long before we were back. By this time the poor rickshaw puller was quite tired, and although it was his fault as he should have, known where to go, Daddy was sorry for him, so instead of giving him eight annas for the fare Daddy gave him a rupee — so then we both felt a good deal better — When Daddy had carried the big box back to his hut he unpacked his kitbag and packs, and put all the things and the bags in the box, and they just filled it to the top. Whenever Daddy had to travel about India after that he only had one thing to look after, and that was the box, which had a padlock on it so that no one could open it except Daddy. This box would also come in very useful when Daddy had to come home and he could put plenty of presents and other things in it then for Mummy, David, Gillian and number twenty two Kedale Road. Just now though, the box was very heavy indeed, and Daddy did'nt envy the coolies who would have to carry it on their heads!

Leonard Charles Irvine, 4393843, Royal Air Force Flt Sgt Nav, Calcutta, 1945

(source: Leonard Charles Irvine "A LETTER TO MY SON" at BBC WW2 People's War' on http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/ Oct 2006)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with the original submitter/author)

 

 

 

 

 

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Maidan

 

 

 

          _____Pictures of 1940s Calcutta________________________

 

 

 

 

 

          _____Contemporary Records of or about 1940s Calcutta___

 

THE CALCUTTA MAIDAN

The Calcutta Maidan, a wide rolling expanse of greensward covering about 1400 acres in the very heart of the city, and bounded on the north by Esplanade and Government House, on the south by Lower Circular Road and Hastings, on the east by Chowringhee Road and on the west by the river Hooghly, is rightly considered to be the pride of Calcutta. Aptly described as the finest "lung" of the city, the Maidan is the chief venue for games and athletic sports of all descriptions. Some idea of its extent and importance can be gauged from the fact that it has a Public Works Division of its own.

Entering the Maidan from Government Place West, we have on the left Government House and on the right Esplanade Row West leading to Strand Road. In Esplanade Row West are the Town Hall, the High Court, the Imperial Bank of India (entrance from Strand Road), Northbrook Statue, Northbrook Road and the Calcutta Swimming Club. Farther down is Auckland Road running parallel to Esplanade Row West. On the northern side of Auckland Road is the Bengal Legislative Council House, Auckland Statue, and the Headquarters of the Calcutta and Presidency Battalion Auxiliary Force, a commodious two-storeyed building, the foundation stone of which was laid by the Marquess of Lansdowne on the 1st April 1889.

The Auxiliary Force came into existence under an act of 1920 with the object of assisting in home defence: it consists of all branches of the service, membership being limited to European British subjects. Service is purely local and training, which is adjusted to conform with these conditions, is graduated according to age, the younger members receiving the more extensive training. The Unit is under the control of the local military authorities, and in case of emergency may be called out for local service.

On the southern side of Auckland Road is the Eden Gardens, bounded on the east and south by Eden Garden Road leading to Strand Road. Proceeding along Eden Garden Road we pass, on the left, Plassey Gate Road which leads to the Fort: on the right of this road are the pavilions and grounds of the Calcutta Customs Club and the Calcutta Police Athletic Club, and on the left the Women's Hockey Association ground, and the pavilions of the Presidency College Club, Measurer's Athletic Club, Greer Sports Club, High Court Athletic Club, Mohan Bagan Athletic Club and the East Bengal Club. Farther down Eden Garden Road is the Calcutta Football Club's pavilion and ground. This ground is considered to be the finest in the East and it is on it that all the important Provincial and International fixtures are played. Next is Calcutta Gate Road leading to the Fort, and farther on, at the junction of Eden Garden and Strand Roads, stands the bronze memorial statue of King George V, sculptured in England by William McMillan, R. A. The statue, mounted on a base of Bottocino marble, rises to a height of 27 feet. The base is surrounded by three tiers of fountain basins, the fountains playing at a capacity of 2,000 gallons per minute.

Continuing our way southwards, we note on the the right the Maidan, gradually rising in undulating levels to the outer redans and embattlements of Fort William. Across the moat many of the fine buildings in the Fort can be seen ; also the Semaphore tower which supports the time-ball, according to which the one o'clock gun is fired, while soaring high, and festooned with trailing wires, are the six giant aerials of the Military Wireless Station. The Fort is considered to be one of the finest of its kind in the world : the site was selected by Lord Clive, the foundation stone laid in October 1757 and the Fort, constructed at an approximate cost of £2,000,000, was completed in 1781.

Fort William is built in the form of a regular hectagon, with five sides to the land and three to the river, and is surrounded by a moat which can be flooded in times of emergency. It has six gates, and can accommodate 10,000 men : it also has its own Institute, Swimming Bath, Cinema, Firing Range, Parade and Football Grounds, Boxing Stadium, Post and Telegraph Office and Bazar. In about the centre of the Fort is the Anglican St. Peter's Church, built during 1822-28, and considered to be the finest garrison Church in India. Of particular interest here are the baptismal font, two stained glass windows on the right as one enters by the main door, the handsome marble pulpit, the arcades adorned on either side by figures of angels, and the stone reredos behind the altar representing the Lord's Last Supper. The walls and pillars are lined with tablets erected to the memory of the brave. About a hundred yards to the east of St. Peter's Church stands St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Chapel, opened on the 18th January 1859.

Retracing our steps to the point where we entered Eden Garden Road, we turn left into Government Place South. Proceeding, we pass on the right the statues of Lord Canning, Lord Lawrence and Lord Hardinge and come to Government Place East, in the centre of which, at its junction with Ochterlony Road, is a traffic island, where vehicular traffic passes on the roundabout or gyratory system. On the left, stretching back to Esplanade junction, is Curzon Gardens, laid out in the form of a Union Jack, and at the south-west corner of Government Place East and Ochterlony Road is the Bhowanipore Club's pavilion and grounds, with the Ochterlony Monument, about a hundred yards to the east.

Pursuing our way southward along Government Place East, we note on the right, the Cenotaph: farther down, forming a junction with Mayo Road and Government Place East is Red Road. In Red Road, on the right, is the Mahomedan Sporting Club's pavilion and ground ; also the statues of Field-Marshalls Lord Roberts and Lord Kitchener; and on the left, the statues of Governors-General Lord Lansdowne, Lord Minto and Lord Ripon.

Turning left we enter Mayo Road, which leads across Dufferin Road to Chowringhee Road. Proceeding, we have, on the left, the pavilions and grounds of the Calcutta Wanderer's Club and the Aryan Club, and beyond, across Dufferin Road, the pavilion and ground of the Telegraph Recreation Club, and Lindsay Tank. On the right of Mayo Road, in a line, are the pavilions and grounds of the Dalhousie, Rangers and University Clubs, and at the intersection of Mayo and Dufferin Roads the equestrian statue of Lord Mayo (Governor-General), who was assassinated at the Andaman Islands in 1872. The statue was unveiled by H. R.H. the Prince of Wales, afterwards King Edward VII. Within the triangle formed by Mayo, Dufferin and Outram Roads, are the pavilions of the Calcutta Police Court Tennis Club, the Town Club, the Parsee Club, the Jewish Sports Club, the Marwari Club, the Y.M.C.A. Club, Burns Sports Club, the Bengal Government Press Club, the Chowringhee Athletic Club, Kalighat Sporting Club; the Ronaldshay Hut, the Armenian Football and the Badminton Association grounds.

Deviating into Dufferin Road and proceeding, we come to a point where five roads, namely Dufferin, Red, Outram, Kidderpore and Chowringhee Gate Roads, converge. At the junction of these roads stands a bronze statue of the Marquess of Dufferin and Ava, Viceroy and Governor-General of India (1884-1888) and at the southeast corner of Kidderpore and Outram Roads, is the pavilion of the Royal Calcutta Golf Club.

Pursuing our way along Kidderpore Road we have, on the left, the Parade Ground, bounded on the east by Chowringhee and Elliott tanks and on the south by Queensway. Passing Casuarina Avenue, leading to the Victoria Memorial, and then the Ladies' Golf Club, we come to Hospital Road, leading past the Victoria Memorial to Lower Circular Road. To the east of the Victoria Memorial and separated from it by Cathedral Road, is St. Paul's Cathedral.

At the angle formed by Kidderpore and Lower Circular Roads is the Race Course, said to be the finest in the world, and on the other side of Kidderpore Road, lies the Ellenborough Course (Polo ground) bounded on the west by St. George's Gate Road; beyond is Napier Road leading to Hastings Bridge. At the junction of Napier Road and St. George's Gate Road, stands the equestrian statue of Lord Napier of Magdala, a replica of the one by Boehm, occupying the centre of the lower half of Waterloo Place, London. Directly facing the statue is Prinsep Ghat, erected in memory of James Prinsep, Master of the Mint, Secretary of the Asiatic Society, and the first decipherer of the ancient alphabets of India. A short distance to the south is the Laskar Memorial. This brings us to Hastings.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source pages 154-157 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

THE "MAIDAN"

THE "MAIDAN" : Dotted with trees and statues and flanked on all sides by public and private buildings, the Maidan (Hindusthani word for a plain or park) is the center of Calcutta. The Government House, the Town Hall, the High Court, the Legislative Assembly House, the Fort, the Race Course, the Victoria Memorial, the Cathedral, the Inndian Museum, the European clubs and stores are all flanked or skirted by the Maidan.

(source: “A Guide Book to Calcutta, Agra, Delhi, Karachi and Bombay” The American Red Cross and the China-Burma-India-Command. [1943]:  at: http://cbi-theater-2.home.comcast.net/redcross/red-cross-india.html#INDIA)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with the original submitter/author)

 

OCHTERLONY MONUMENT

OCHTERLONY MONUMENT : Built in 1828 in memory of Sir David Ochterlony, the British General who conquered Nepal, it stands on the western extremity of the Maidan, 165 ft. high, a towering landmark of Calcutta. Permission may be obtained from the Calcutta Police Headquarters at Lal Bazaar to ascend the monument, from which a splendid view of the city and its environs may be obtained.

(source: “A Guide Book to Calcutta, Agra, Delhi, Karachi and Bombay” The American Red Cross and the China-Burma-India-Command. [1943]:  at: http://cbi-theater-2.home.comcast.net/redcross/red-cross-india.html#INDIA)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with the original submitter/author)

 

THE CENOTAPH

At the northern end of the Maidan, to the west of the Ochterlony Monument, stands that dignified Memorial, the Cenotaph, erected by public subscription to the memory of those who, during the Great War (1914-1918), gave their lives for King and Country. The Memorial, a simple and massive column of stone inscribed with the words "The Glorious Dead", is almost a replica of the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London. It was unveiled in 1921, by H. R. H. The Prince of Wales, afterwards King Edward VIII.

In Memoriam

1914          -          1919

Lest We Forget

At 11 A. M. on Armistice Day (November 11th) each year, the Cenotaph, with its base covered with floral tributes, is the scene of a most impressive ceremony, when the Governor and his suite, the Military, the Navy and a large gathering of people of all communities, stand bareheaded in reverential silence for two minutes which is maintained throughout the British Empire.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source pages 160 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

THE CENOTAPH

THE CENOTAPH : At the northern end of the Maidan, to the west of the Ochterlony Monument, the Great War Memorial of Calcutta is almost a replica of the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London. It commemorates those who gave their lives for their King and country between 1914 and 1918.

(source: “A Guide Book to Calcutta, Agra, Delhi, Karachi and Bombay” The American Red Cross and the China-Burma-India-Command. [1943]:  at: http://cbi-theater-2.home.comcast.net/redcross/red-cross-india.html#INDIA)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with the original submitter/author)

 

THE LASCAR WAR MEMORIAL

At the southern end of the Maidan, within a hundred yards of Prinsep Ghat, is the Lascar Memorial, erected by the Shipping and Mercantile Companies to the memory of the 896 lascars of Bengal, Assam and Upper India who lost their lives on active service during the Great War (1914-1918). It was unveiled in 1924 by Lord Lytton, then Governor of Bengal. The Memorial, a foursided column of Oriental architecture, appropriately designed with a prow of an ancient galley projecting from each of its sides, is capped by four small minarets and a large gilt dome.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source page 161 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

THE LASCAR WAR MEMORIAL

THE LASCAR WAR MEMORIAL : At the southern end of the Maidan, on the Strand, to the south of Fort William, stands this memorial erected to the memory of the Indian seamen who lost their lives in the Great War.

(source: “A Guide Book to Calcutta, Agra, Delhi, Karachi and Bombay” The American Red Cross and the China-Burma-India-Command. [1943]:  at: http://cbi-theater-2.home.comcast.net/redcross/red-cross-india.html#INDIA)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with the original submitter/author)

 

VICTORIA MEMORIAL

Location :—At the southern end of the Maidan, with the main entrance on Queensway.

Admission to the Grounds : —Open daily from sunrise to sunset, throughout the year.

Admission to the Memorial :—Except on Mondays, when the Memorial is entirely closed, and on Tuesdays, when it is open from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Victoria Memorial is open daily, including Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (March to October), and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (November to February).

Admission to the Memorial is free with the exception of galleries XII, XIV, XV, XVI, XVII and XVIII, for which an entrance fee of annas four is levied.

On Fridays an entrance fee of annas eight is made which admits one to the whole building.

A charge of annas eight per head is levied for ascending to the Grand Dome and entering the Echo Chamber and Whispering Gallery.

Trams :—Kalighat, Kiddcrpore.

 Buses: —Nos. 2, 2A, 3, 3A, 4, 4A, 5, 12, 12B.

The Victoria Memorial in Calcutta is incomparably the most magnificent monument erected to the memory of the great Sovereign whose name it bears. This enormous yet symmetrical pile of white marble, conceived by the genius of Lord Curzon, is regarded as one of the great buildings of the modern world and is unsurpassed as a repository for priceless collections of pictures, statues, historical documents and other objects of art and interest, illustrative of Indian History in general and the Victorian era in particular.

Designed by Sir William Emerson (architect), the foundation stone was laid on the 4th January 1906 by King George V, then Prince of Wales. The building, of Renaissance architecture with traces of Saracenic influence, was constructed by Messrs. Martin &. Co. Calcutta, under the supervision of Mr. V. J. Esch, C. V. O. (architect), at a cost of Rs. 76,00,000, subscribed by the Peoples and Princes of India, and was formally opened on the 28th December 1921, by H. R. H. the Prince of Wales, afterwards King Edward VIII.

The dimensions of the Hall at the corner towers are 339 feet by 228 feet. The dome of the building, 182 feet above ground level, is surmounted by a figure of Victory 16 feet high, weighing 3 tons, revolving on a sphere 2 feet in diameter. The ornamental statuary groups over the entrance, and the figures surrounding the dome were designed and executed in Italy.

The treasures within the Memorial are worthy of their magnificent repository. The collection and arrangement of the material was entrusted to Sir William Foster, C.LE., and later the work of revision and completion was supervised by Sir Evan Cotton, C.I.E. At the express desire of Lord Curzon, the Trustees have prepared an illustrated catalogue of the exhibits, which is in itself a work of art and of historical value. This catalogue is on sale to the public and a copy should be in the hands of every visitor.

Arriving at the Memorial from Queensway, we pause at the Lion-guarded gate to inspect the striking bronze statue of Lord Curzon by Pomeroy. The great Proconsul stands bare-headed facing his Sovereign and the magnificent Memorial he was instrumental in raising to her Imperial memory. Surrounding his statue at the four corners, are groups of statuary representing Commerce, Famine Relief, Agriculture and Peace.

Proceeding up the drive, we come to the bronze statue of Queen Victoria by Sir George Frampton. Her Majesty is represented seated on a throne, wearing the Robes of the Order of the Star of India, on her head is a crown, in her right hand the Sceptre and in her left hand the Orb of State adorned with the figure of St. George. Surmounting the throne are bronze figures representing Art, Literature and Justice, while at the back in relief, side by side, are the Lion of Britain and 'the Tiger of India, and above them the Sun that never sets on the British Empire. The pedestal is of green marble, adorned in front with the Royal Coat of Arms encircled by palms of Victory. On the base of the pedestal are bronze bas-reliefs, depicting Indian State processions.

The spacious grounds around the building are well laid out with gorgeous flower beds, wide lawns, sequestered walks and gleaming stretches of water, while rustic benches beneath shady trees, provide inviting and restful retreats.

Proceeding, we reach the Memorial, awe-inspiring in its superb construction, sheer white beauty and sweeping grandeur: ascending the broad marble steps we pass into the Entrance Hall (I) where we note marble statues of King George V and Queen Mary; bronze busts of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra; a musical Grandfather Clock by Whitehurst of Derby; a wooden model of the Victoria Memorial; and the original design of the Victoria Memorial by Sir William Emerson. Passing through the Vestibule to the Royal Gallery (II), which contains photographs of former Governors-General and a bronze bust of
Florence Nightingale, we enter the Royal Gallery (III), on the south wall of which hangs a masterpiece by Vassili Verestchagin, depicting the State procession of the Prince of Wales, afterwards King Edward VII, at Jaipur in 1876. This exhibit, regarded as one of the finest works of art in India, was presented by the Maharaja of Jaipur. Of particular interest here are Queen Victoria's writing table and armchair, which she used daily at Windsor Castle; a pianoforte made to the order of William IV by S. and P. Erard in 1829, on which she learned to play; oil paintings of Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort, their marriage, the christening and marriage of King Edward VII, Queen Victoria's Jubilee Services, and a portrait of Queen Alexandra.

In the Annexe to the Royal Gallery (IV) are a number of interesting exhibits, including Queen Victoria's last letter to India, dated 14th December 1900; King Edward VII's signed message, read at the Delhi Coronation Durbar; two exquisitely Indian embroidered dresses, one worn by Queen Alexandra at Courts in London and the other worn by Lady Curzon at the Centenary Fancy Dress Ball held in Government House, Calcutta, in January 1903 ; Queen Victoria's Proclamation Banner (1877); a gold embroidered footstool used by King George V. at the Delhi Coronation Durbar in 1911; photographs of Earl and Countess Canning ; lithographs of Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace, an engraving of Windsor Castle; paintings of Queen Victoria's Coronation; the laying of the foundation stone of the Victoria Memorial Hall; several engravings of Queen Victoria; a photograph of her Majesty with her Indian Attendant, and 60 engravings, on a screen, depicting the female aristocracy of her Court.

Returning to the Entrance Hall (I), we pass into the Vestibule to the Portrait Gallery (V), containing a number of engravings of Indian scenes, a coloured engraving of the Court of Fath Ali Shah of Persia and a marble bust of Charles James Fox. In the Portrait Gallery (VI) we have fine portraits of Lord Metcalfe, Lord Bentinck, Sir Robert Sherley (1581-1628), Dwarkanath Tagore, Field Marshal Gough, Dr. Alexander Duff, Bishop Heber, John Zephaniah Holwell, Major-General Sir David Ochterlony, Lord Clive, Major-General Stringer Lawrence, Admiral Charles Watson, Viscount Lake; marble statues of the Marquess of Wellesley, the Marquess of Hastings and the Marquess of Dalhousie; two large oil paintings representing the investiture of the Duke of Edinburgh with the insignia of G. C. S. I.; and the State Entry of Lord and Lady Curzon and the Duke and Duchess of Connaught into Delhi for the Coronation Durbar of 1903. In the show cases are displayed manuscripts of great interest to antiquarians, including Tipu Sultan's note book written by himself; an Ain-I-Akbari by Abdul Fazi, Prime Minister of the Emperor Akbar; poems of Nizami and Jamali; the first volume of the Calcutta Gazette dated Thursday, June 3rd, 1784; Akbarnamah in two volumes, bearing the imprimature of the author Abdul Fazi Allami; Sir William Jones* translation of the great Sanskrit drama Sacontala (The Fatal Ring) by Cali Das; an illustrated Anwar-I-Soheili, written in 1518 A. D., bearing Akbar's signature; Quhstan, written by Zarein Haqam; also aquatints and paintings on talc, of costumes of the Bengal, Madras and Indian armies.

The Annexe to the Portrait Gallery (VII) contains a number of paintings and engravings. Of special interest are those of Muhammad Ali, Nawab of Arcot, Tipu Sultan, Sir William Jones the famous Orientalist, founder and first President of the Asiatic Society of Bengal; David Hare, founder of the Hindu College; William Carey, D. D., founder of the Baptist Mission Society; Brigadier-General John Nicholson of Mutiny fame; Field-Marshal Sir Neville B. Chamberlain (1820-1902); Brigadier-General Sir Henry Lawrence; Field-Marshal Earl Roberts; Major-General Sir Henry Havelock, who relieved Lucknow during the Mutiny; Raja Ram Mohan Roy the great Hindu Reformer; and the Rev. J. Z. Kiernander, the first missionary of the Church of England in Bengal. In the centre of the room is a large show case, displaying a unique collection of ancient armour and weapons of the various States of India.

Finding ourselves once more in the Entrance Hall (I), we enter Queen's Hall (VIII). In the centre directly under the dome is a splendid and dignified statue of Queen Victoria by Sir Thomas Brock. On the walls of the Hall are marble panels inscribed with the Queen's Proclamations on the transference of India to the Crown in 1858, and on her assumption of the title of Empress of India in 1877. High up above the gallery which circles the Hall are 12 frescoes by Frank Salisbury, depicting the main incidents in the life of the great Queen. The bronze doors on the two sides of Queen's Hall, giving access to the Eastern and Western Quadrangles (IX and X), are fine specimens of intricate workmanship. In the centre of the Eastern Quadrangle is a marble statue of the Marquess of Cornwallis and, in the Western Quadrangle, one of Warren Hastings.

Staircases to the right and left of Queen's Hall lead to galleries XIX to XXXII, but it would be an advantage for visitors to explore the lower floor before going upstairs.

From Queen's Hall (VIII) we pass into Prince's Hall (XI), containing busts of Brigadier-General John Nicholson, Earl Canning, Lord Lawrence, Major-General Sir Henry Havelock, the Duke of Wellington, Major-General Claude Martin and the novelist William Makepeace Thackeray. The outstanding feature of this Hall is the fine marble statue of Lord Clive, a replica of the one outside the India Office in London. Two French guns, captured by Lord Clive at Plassey in 1757, are very appropriately placed here.

To the left of the Prince's Hall is the Durbar Hall (XII), with its handsome wrought-iron gates surmounted by the Royal Coat of Arms. Admission is by ticket (four annas), which covers entrance to this Hall as well as to the Galleries Nos. XIV, XV, XVI, XVII and XVIII. These galleries contain exhibits of historical and world-wide importance and interest and no one should miss visiting them.  The Durbar Hall, one of the most striking galleries in the building, displays a wide variety of interesting objects, including a valuable collection of Indian stamps; water colour sketches by Miss Eden, sister of Lord Auckland; Queen Victoria's Journal in the Highlands, and The Early Years of the Prince Consort; an autographed letter from the Duke of Wellington; a Bengali letter from Nund Coomar; Warren Hastings' snuff box; a number of Oriental paintings on screens; engravings and aquatints of views of Calcutta; show cases of swords formerly belonging to Lord Roberts, Tipu Sultan, Haidar Ali and others; uniforms worn by King Edward VII and Lord Curzon; silver trumpets used at the Coronation Durbar at Delhi, and the stone Throne or Musnad of the Nawabs Nazim of Bengal, hewn out of a single block, dating from 1641. It is said that the stone occasionally exhudes a rust coloured liquid due to the presence of iron ore.

Retracing our steps to Prince's Hall (XI), we enter the Vestibule to Daniell Room (XIV). In this vestibule are various uniforms worn by heralds and trumpeters at the Coronation Durbars of 1903 and 1911. The Daniell Room (XV) is adorned with a number of fine paintings of Indian scenes by Thomas Daniell, R. A., William Daniell, R.A., and John Zoffany, R.A., some of which have been exhibited at the Royal Academy, London. The chief among these are Lord Cornwallis receiving the son of Tipu Sultan, and Lord Clive receiving from Emperor Shah Alam the Grant to the East India Company of the Diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, both paintings by John Zoffany; The Embassy of Haidar Begg to Calcutta, by J. Zoffany; Lord Cornwallis receiving the Hostage Princes, by Mather Brown; The Imambara of Asaf-ud-Daula at Lucknow by W. Daniell; part of Mausoleum of Nawab Assuph Khan, by Thomas Daniell.

Queen Mary's Room (XVI), contains many portraits and views of absorbing interest, mostly presented by Her Majesty. There are paintings of Sir Saiyed Ahmed Khan by Poresh Nath Sen; Raja Sir Tanjore Madhava Rao by Raja Ravi Varma of Travancore; Sir Henry Bartle Edward Frere by Malcolm Stewart; Major-General John Briggs by J. Smart; The Poet Rudyard Kipling by Sir Phillip Burne-Jones; Sir James Fitzjames Stephen by C. H. Thompson; Lord Macaulay by A. C. Dyer; Brigadier-General Sir Henry Lawrence by Miss M. Saunders; Rajandra Lal Mitra by Lai Fong; Major-General Sir Peter Lumsden by D. Ward; Sir Elijah Impey by Tilly Kettle; Nawab Asaf-ud'Dowlah by Ozias Humphry; Lieutenant-General Sir Richard Strachey by T. Blake Wirgman; The Old Fort and Holwell's Monument, Calcutta, by T. Daniell; John Zoffany, R.A., (1733-1810), by himself; The Daniells in India; The Jummah Musjid, Delhi; Sir Colin Campbell (first Baron Clyde); Lord Pigot of Patshull; Duke of Wellington; Major-General Sir David Ochterlony; Major-General Sir Robert Sale; also portraits of Governors-General of India from Warren Hastings down to Lord Curzon. An exhibit of great historical interest is the last page of a letter dated 7th July, 1686, bearing Job Charnock's signature.

Gallery (XVII), contains paintings of Tipu Sultan and his sons, Mahdaji Sindhia, a collection of arms and armour of various Indian States, flags of old time regiments, an Austrian machine gun, and other interesting exhibits. The exhibits in Gallery (XVIII) include engravings of the Preparation for Suttee, the Battle of Meeanee, and the Festival of the Mohurram, a painting of Keshub Chandra Sen, an aquatint of the Gate to Akbar's Mausoleum and show cases containing models of the old East Indiaman Allumghier and of the battlefield of Plassey (1757) in plaster of Paris, together with a cannon ball picked up on that field.

Back to Prince's Hall we pass out of the door to the southern vestibule. At the foot of the staircase to the right are two cannons, one an old Indian camel gun, the other bearing an inscription in Bengalee to the effect that it was cast by one Kisore Das Karmakar, blacksmith; the gun belonged to the Maharaja of Nadia, who played an important part in the Revolution of 1757. Ascending this staircase we enter the Vestibule leading to Hastings Room (XIX). Here are exhibited King Thebaw's Silver Carpet, a coloured oriental painting of the Dasara Procession of His Highness the Rao of Kutch, and a Panorama of Her Late Majesty Queen Victoria's Coronation Procession (about 80 feet long). Among the exhibits in Hastings Room (XX) are two busts of Hastings in glass cases, a number of portraits of Warren Hastings and Mrs. Hastings, Views of Daylesford House, Hastings' family home, his tomb in Daylesford churchyard, and an engraving of his trial; an ivory teapoy and chair, part of the famous suite of Warren Hastings; and a paper booklet containing Hastings' account of his duel with Philip Francis in 1780 ; several engravings of Tipu Sultan's last stand at Seringapatam, his death, the surrender of his sons and a model of the Fort of Seringapatam (No. 1376).

The Print Room (XXI) and the Calcutta Room (XXII) run parallel to Hastings Room (XX). In the former are mezzotint engravings of Sir William Peel, Lord Napier of Magdala, Viscount Gough, General John Jacob, several battle scenes; a portrait of Countess Mornington, the mother of the Duke of Wellington and the Marquess Wellesley; a lithograph of Sir Charles Napier and several paintings and portraits of Indian scenes.

The Calcutta Room (XXII) should be of particular interest to residents of this City. Some of the views represented are Old Court House Street, Calcutta in 1756, the River Hooghly, Calcutta from the Ochterlony Monument, Writers Buildings, Chowringhee, the Council House, Proclaiming the transfer of the administration to the Crown, Barrackpore, and a number of coloured lithographs of,Old Calcutta by Sir Charles D'Oyly. There are teakwood models of St. Anne's Church, Old Fort William and the South-East of Old Fort William showing East Gate Barracks and the Black Hole of Calcutta: the top of the last named can be removed to show interior details.

The Annexe to the Calcutta Room (XXIII) is on the right and offers many photographs, engravings and maps of Calcutta, showing the gradual growth of the city: this is illustrated by views entitled The Old Mission Church, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Old Court House Street, Corner of Maidan (now the Curzon Gardens), Site of Sans Souci Theatre (now St. Xavier's College), Clive Street and Dalhousie Square, Chowringhee, Riverside, Old Bengal Club, Old Fort William, United Service Club, Shipping on the Hooghly, Howrah Bridge, Old Post Office, the former Royal Exchange, Roman Catholic Cathedral and the original Black Hole Monument and its present replica.

Adjoining the Calcutta Room is the Bombay and Madras Room (XXIV), containing a wide display of views of both these cities and south India. These include a collection of engravings of costumes of the western side of India, the palace of the late Nawab of Arcot and Fort St. George. On the right is the Document Gallery (XXV) where a number of ancient and original documents, sanads, parchments and letters may be inspected. Of special interest among these are a sanad by the Emperor Aurangzeb conferring a title on the Raja of Bansberia, two warrants of the Herald's College for the arms of the City of Calcutta in 1896, several documents relating to Sir Colin Campbell's appointments, letters in Persian to and from the Raja of Pudukotai, a page from the baptismal register showing the entry of baptism of Job Charnock's daughters, accounts of Queen Victoria's Coronation and Marriage as published in the Sun, an old English newspaper, a poem in honour of King George V's Coronation, documents in the hand-writing of Zaibunessa, daughter of Shah Jahan, three holograph letters of Maharaja Nund Coomar, and the original jewel bond for the alleged forgery of which Nund Coomar was tried, convicted and hanged. In a show case are a large number of minutes, treaties, despatches, letters and a sketch of the career of Keshub Chandra Sen, written by himself and presented to Lord Curzon. In another case is a Tibetan manuscript on durable thick paper made from beaten grass.

Emerging from Gallery (XXV), we turn left and ascend a short staircase leading to the circular gallery of Queen's Hall just below the frescoes.  The first door on the left leads to the North-West Balcony (XXVI), where are exhibited an engraving of the Mausoleum of Haider Ali and several fine views of Simla, Lucknow, and south India. A passage from Balcony (XXVI) leads to the North Porch Room (West) (XXVII), which contains steel engravings of the Himalayas; while a doorway on the left gives access to a gallery leading to the North Porch Room (East) (XXVIII), containing aquatints and engravings of Monghyr, Lucknow, Benares, Ceylon and Abyssinia.  From here we turn left and pass into the North-East Balcony (XXIX), on the walls of which are hung tinted lithographs of the Mutiny of 1857. In the North-East Gallery (XXX) are displayed an assorted collection of views of Calcutta, Delhi, Seringapatam, Lucknow and South Africa, as well as mezzotints of the installations of the Nawabs of Bengal and the Carnatic. Worthy of special attention is the picture of Mr. T. H. Kavanagh, V. C., disguised in order to make his way out of Lucknow, to guide the relieving force led by Sir Colin Campbell. A passage at the end of this gallery leads the way over an open terrace to Room (XXXI), in which are displayed the Coronation Durbar scenes. At the farther end of this room a doorway gives access to the North-East Corner Tower Room (XXXII), lined with some very fine paintings of military officers by Fred Swynnerton, several views of Calcutta, and a photograph of the laying of the Foundation Stone of the Queen Memorial Hall. This is the last room in the building.

A staircase from these galleries brings us down to Queen's Hall (VIII); from where we make our way to the southern vestibule to inspect two old guns, one of which is marked 'H. H. Maxwell, 1865, Cossipore,' and both inscribed with the motto "Horn Soit Qui Mal y Pense DCCCLXV."

In the grounds on the south is a life-size marble statue of Lord Curzon by Pomeroy, in the robes of a Grand Master of the Order of the Star of India. Farther on, in the centre of the roadway leading to the southern gate, is a memorial marble arch surmounted by an equestrian statue of King Edward VII, and a few yards farther south is a naval gun, captured by the Turks at Kut and recaptured from them during the Great War, mounted on a carriage which was used in the Boer War (1899-1901).

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40
(source pages 33-43 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with John Barry 1940)

 

VICTORIA MEMORIAL

VICTORIA MEMORIAL : A vast treasure-house of priceless collections of relics and records, paintings and portraits, statues and sculptures relating to British-Indian history, this great memorial to Queen Victoria of England is the most imposing building in Calcutta. Conceived by Lord Curzon and erected at a cost of nearly a crore of rupees contributed by the princes and people of India, it dominates the Maidan. Built entirely of Jaipur marble, the design is chiefly Renascence with traces of Sarcenic influence.

(source: “A Guide Book to Calcutta, Agra, Delhi, Karachi and Bombay” The American Red Cross and the China-Burma-India-Command. [1943]:  at: http://cbi-theater-2.home.comcast.net/redcross/red-cross-india.html#INDIA)

(COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reproduced under 'fair dealing' terms as part of a non commercial educational research project. The copyright remains with the original submitter/author)

 

 

 

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