Thursday, July 15, 2010
Dabul, from John Ogilby's Asia, the first part, being an accurate description of Persia, the vast empire of the great Mogol, and other parts of India, etc.--Artist and engraver: Ogilby, John (fl.1673) Medium: Engraving Date: 1673
Egraving by John Ogilby (fl.1673) of Dabhol in the Konkan region of Maharashtra, dated 1673. Dhabol was of considerable importance in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. It was the principal port in the southern Konkan, carrying on trade with Cambay, Malabar, the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, and was the capital of a province of the Bijapur kingdom under Yusuf Adil Shah. John Ogilby was 'Cosmographer, Geographic Printer, and Master of His Majesty's revels in the Kingdom of Ireland' to Charles II. This image, re-engraved from an original Dutch print; hence the Dutch pennant inscription at the top, forms one of the illustrations to Ogilby's 'Asia, the first part, being an accurate description of Persia, the vast empire of the great Mogol, and other parts of India...', published in 1673. Ogilby's description of Dhabol reads, "Four Gau, or twelve Leagues from Chipolone, down the River Helewacko, lies the City Dabul, or Dabrul, anciently very famous, but of late much ruin'd by the Wars, and decreas'd in Trade...It lies open onely on the South-side which fronts the Water, where are two Batteries planted with four Iron Guns. On the Mountains are several decay'd Fortresses, and an ancient Castle, but without any Guns or Garrison. On the Northern Point, where the Bay begins, stands a little Wood, which at a distance appears like a Fort, and below this Wood, near the Water, is a white Temple, or Pagode; as also another on the South Point, on the declining Mountain, besides several other Temples and Stately Edifices."
Panoramic view of Bombay taken from Chinchpoogly hill, Parel, looking towards Cumballa hill and Warli--Artist: Griffiths, Linette Rebecca (b. 1843) Medium: Watercolour Date: 1870-
Watercolour drawing of Bombay taken from Chinchpoogly hill at Parel looking towards Cumballa hill and Warli by Linette Rebecca Griffiths (b. 1843) dating from c.1870s.
In 1661, Bombay was ceded to the British by the Portuguese as part of the marriage dowry of Catherine of Braganza when she married Charles II. The area of Bombay was originally composed of seven islands, including Parel. In the foreground of this late 19th-century view, we can see a townscape with a number of mill or factory chimneys punctuating the skyline. It was probably thanks to this industrialisation that the residence of the British Governor at Parel was moved to Malabar Point.
Advert for Nubian Blacking, shoe polish
Printer: Unknown
Medium: Print on paper
Date: 1879All outdoor boots and shoes were made from leather in the 19th century, and as such needed polishing to keep them clean. Until the end of the century, shoes were generally made to measure, and the expense involved in having shoes made meant that they had to be kept in very good condition. When not being worn they were filled with paper to preserve their shape, and linseed oil was often rubbed into the leather to keep it smooth.
This particular brand of shoe-polish has a racially suspect name. 'Nubia' was the name given by early French explorers to the region of north-eastern Africa around the huge Nile valley; 'Nubians' were by definition this area's inhabitant. While the word 'Nubian' clearly has always had racial connotations, by the 19th century some of these connotations were outright racist: Nubian was now a slang word in English meaning 'black slave'.
Holi festival, a nobleman watching the celebrations--Artist: unknown Medium: Watercolour Date: 1795
Watercolour drawing showing the Holi festival, by an anonymous artist working in the Patna school, c. 1795-1800. Inscribed on the back of the drawing is: 'No.4. The Gift of E.E. Pote Esqr. Elizath Collins. This is a Hindoo Festival celebrated, among other sports, by throwing a red powder enclosed in globes of Lak which break instantly and cover the party with the Powder - this is immediately returned - and thus by partial and promiscuous peltings - the whole Party are entirely covered with the red Powder. The Powder is also put in Water, and the Assembly attack each other with squirts filled with the red water - by the time the Party break up', 'they are so disfigured as scarce to be known'; also' The Festival of the Hoolee.'
Lord Hastings' flotilla on the river, with many pinnace budgerows--Artist: Sita Ram (fl. c.1810-1822) Medium: Watercolour Date: 1814
Watercolour of a river scene on the Ganges river at Buxar from 'Views by Seeta Ram from Patna to Benares Vol. II' produced for Lord Moira, afterwards the Marquess of Hastings, by Sita Ram between 1814-15. Marquess of Hastings, the Governor-General of Bengal and the Commander-in-Chief (r. 1813-23), was accompanied by artist Sita Ram (flourished c.1810-22) to illustrate his journey from Calcutta to Delhi between 1814-15.
The Main Street, Bangalore.--Photographer: Unknown Medium: Photographic print Date: 1890--
This photograph of a Main Street, Bangalore taken in the 1890s by an unknown photographer, is from the Curzon Collection's 'Souvenir of Mysore Album'.The note accompanying this photograph reads, "On either side of the roadway there are open stalls or bazaars, where the tradesmen display their wares arranged in tiers of shelves, all within reach of the salesman, who sits ensconsed among them. Those of a trade generally flock together. During the busy hours of the morning and afternoon, the streets are so thronged with people as to remind one of the crowded thoroughfares of London."
![Archbishop of Canterbury from "[Cassell's Illustrated Universal History.]"](https://cache.getarchive.net/Prod/thumb/cdn8/L3Bob3RvLzIwMTYvMDUvMTUvYXJjaGJpc2hvcC1vZi1jYW50ZXJidXJ5LWZyb20tY2Fzc2VsbHMtaWxsdXN0cmF0ZWQtdW5pdmVyc2FsLWhpc3RvcnktN2FlNzliLTY0MC5qcGc%3D/40/47/webp "Archbishop of Canterbury from \"[Cassell's Illustrated Universal History.]\"")
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