Good Old Bombay (Now Mumbai)
Elphinstone College and David Sassoon Library at Kala Ghoda.
Watsons Hotel, now known as Esplanade Mansion stands tall but almost dilapidated at Kala Ghoda now.
But, look at this hotel in its prime! What views of Bombay harbour! This photo is from the 1880s; the only other building at that time in the area was the Sailors' Home (now Maharashtra State Police HQ) in the distance. The wide road you see is the Esplanade; and hence the name of the hotel.
The patch of land on the right of the photo, by the sea, is where the Taj Mahal Palace and Towers eventually came up - but that was not until 1903. Before that, for more than 30 years, Watsons Hotel was the numero uno establishment in the city. Mark Twain stayed here; Kipling wrote about it, and the earliest screening of the Cinematographe in India by the Lumiere Brothers was in this hotel (just one week after it was first screened in Paris).
Peak hour at Bombay Central. One can see atleast 6 persons in the main hall and ghostly traces of two more.
'Khada Parsi’ or ‘Standing Parsi’ in English is almost 40 feet tall and 150 year old cast iron structure and bronze statue of Shet Cursetjee Manockjee that was built in 1860s by his youngest son Manockjee Cursetjee, by spending almost a lakh of rupees then. Manockjee, known as a reformer in education sector, is responsible for founding one of the first schools for girls in Mumbai in 1863, now called Alexandra Girls English Institution, located in South Mumbai.
Sailors Home c1900.
Now the Maharashtra State Police HQ
View from Colaba Reclamation.. see Rajabai Tower in the distance.Once upon a time, it was so close to the sea.
Churchgate station which built in 1870, is named after the street leading out of this gate.
During the eighteenth and up to the mid-19th century, Mumbai was a walled city. The city walls had three gates, and Church Gate, named after St. Thomas Cathedral, Mumbai was one of the gates. The gate was situated near the present day location of Flora Fountain. In the mid-19th century, the city walls were torn down to aid in the expansion program.
Scotch Church, Court-House, and entrance to the Dock-Yard..
This is the church opposite the Lion's Gate on the way towards Asiatic from Regal.
Street in Bombay Fort c1860
Fort gate similar or same as church gate seen at the far end.
Appolo Bunder without the Gateway.
Currently it is the location of the famed Gateway of India.
Colaba Reclaimation fromWodehouse Bridge.. Do you see the railway tracks?
The railway line earlier ran upto Colaba. After Churchgate, next station Colaba.
VT (Victoria Terminus) now CST.
Flora Fountain with the Central Telegraph Office in the background.
The CentralTelegraph Office was the General Post Office till around beginning of 1900's.
Town Hall - Asiatic Library
Bombay Municipal Building c1900
Bombay University buildings with Rajabai Tower still under construction.
Bombay High Court
Double-decker tram
Very first trains driven by bullocks -1863
poor creatures
poor creatures
Churchgate Station
BB&CI (Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway) Steam Engine.
Bombay Town Hall Photo 1850's with Bombay Green Ground as seen from top of St. Thomas Cathedral, sailing ships in harbour in the background
This shot of Bombay University’s Clocktower and Convocation Hall, with the sea behind them was probably taken from Watson’s Hotel around 1878. These Gothic structures, funded by the philanthropic bankers Premchand Roychand and Sir Cowasji Jehangir Readymoney, were among the city’s first great buildings.
Marine Drive in the 1940’s or 50’s taken by the celebrated Bombay photographer A.L Syed. A cricket match is probably the reason for the unusually large number of cars.
