Guided Tour North: Bentinck Street to Paikpara

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Introduction

This tour takes you right through the traditional Bengali north of the city.

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Bow Bazar Street

_Pictures of 1940s Calcutta____________________

Downtown Calcutta street scene

The indifference of the passer-by on this downtown Calcutta street to the plight of the dying woman in the foreground is considered commonplace. During the famine of 1943, cases like this were to be seen in most every block, and though less frequent now, the hardened public reaction seems to have endured.

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_

Bow Bazar Street

Taking the junction of Bentinck Street and Lower Chitpore Road as the starting point of our tour, we enter Bow Bazar Street and note No. 1 on the right. No. 311 on the left. Proceeding, we have on the right Grant Lane, and on the left Chattawalla Gullee leading to Blackburn Lane (known as Chinatown) : higher up is the Welland-Gouldsmith European Boarding and Day School, and farther on (right) is Metcalfe Street […]

Continuing our way along Bow Bazar Street we pass, on the right, the Carey Baptist Church and on the left, the Calcutta Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, founded by Colesworthy Grant, in whose memory a fountain was erected in Dalhousie Square East in 1881; next comes Phear Lane winding to Colotolla Street, and facing it, on the right, is Bow Street, leading to the junction of Kapalitolla Lane and Weston Street.

Robert Street leading to Central Avenue (right) and Haberley Lane, Giri Babu Lane and the Bow Bazar Post and Telegraph Office (left), bring us to the crossing of Chittaranjan Avenue.

[…]

Returning to Bow Bazar Street at the crossing of Chittaranjan Avenue, and proceeding eastwards, we pass on the right, Kenderdine Lane, the Calcutta Medical Club, the Indian Association Hall and St. Xavier's Church, and reach St. Joseph's College (Page 97). Gangadhar Babu Lane leading to Eden Hospital Road on the left, and New Bow Bazar Lane on the right, bring us to the point where Wellington Street and College Street stand opposite each other.

[…]

Returning to Bow Bazar Street and proceeding eastwards, we have on the left, the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, founded in 1876 by Dr. Mahendra Lall Sirkar, and on the right, Gaur De Lane, Syakrapara Lane, Durga Pituri Lane and Madan Dutt Lane. Next on the left, is Harkata Lane leading to Prem Chand Boral Street, and a little higher up, the Bengal Homoeopathic Medical College. Passing Bannerjee Lane, Doctor Jagabandhu Lane, the Bow Bazar Boys' High School, the Balika Vidyalaya Girls' College and School, and the Bengal Alien Homoeo College and Hospital, we come to the point where Sashi Bhusan Dey Street (right), leading to Dharamtala Street by way of Gokul Boral Street, and Amherst Street (left), stand opposite each other. In Amherst Street, immediately on the right, is the Lady Dufferin Victoria Hospital.

Continuing our way along Bow Bazar Street, we note the Calcutta Hotel and Restaurant at the corner on the right; a few steps farther on, at No. 125A, is The Refuge; next is Refuge Lane. Passing the N. C. Nag Regular Homoeopathic College and Free Out-door Dispensary, the offices of the Basumati (a daily newspaper) and Williams Lane (left), and Golap Sastri Lane, Hazuri Mull Lane and Fordyce Lane leading to St. James' Square (right), we come to Bharatstri Shikshasadan Girls' High School: adjoining is the City Telegraph and Commerce College and nearly opposite is the George Telegraph Training Institute. The Church of Our Lady of Dolours on one side, and Baitakhana Road leading across Hamson Road and Mirzapore Street to Keshab Chandra Sen Street on the other side, mark the end of Bow Bazar Street.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source pages 171-178 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)

CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF DOLOURS

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

Services :—Sundays—Masses at 6-30, 7-30, and 8-30 a. m. Benediction after the last mass.

Tuesdays—Masses at 6, 6-30 and 7 a. m. Benediction at 6-45 p. m. On the first Tuesday of every month. Benediction and Sermon at 6-45 p. m.

Other Weekdays—Masses at 6, 6-30 and 7 a. m.

Trams :—Sealdah to Dalhousie Square; Rajabazar to Nimtola. Park Circus to High Court.

Buses :—3, 3A, 10, 33, 35, 36 and 38.

This church, generally known as the Baitakhana Church, is situated at No. 147 Bow Bazar Street. It was built in 1809 by Mrs. Grace Elizabeth, consecrated on the, 30th June 1810, and presided over by the Portuguese missionaries of Goa and Mylapore until 1929, when the Society of Jesus assumed control.

The church in recent years has become a centre of pilgrimage, attracting a large number of devotees on Tuesdays, particularly the first Tuesday of each month, when the church, which has recently been extended by the addition of two side aisles, is literally filled to overflowing with Catholics and non-Catholics, who flock to it from all parts of Calcutta, and also from distant stations. The centre of attraction is the statue of Our Mother of Mercy, which is regarded by many to be a miraculous one. It is believed that prayers said before it seldom remain unanswered. Beyond the fact that the statue was brought from the house of one Mrs. Baptist of Tanti Bagan Lane, on the 13th July 1909, very little is known about its early history, and nothing about its origin.

Entering by the main gate, we have on the right St. Ann's Orphanage, erected in 1902 in fulfilment of the pious legacy of the late Mrs. Ann Quantine. At the farthest end of the compound is a grotto to Our Lady of Lourdes, erected in memory of Mrs. D. E. Parkinson.

Turning left and ascending a short flight of marble steps, we find ourselves in the vestibule, upon which is reared the steeple containing the Clock Tower and Belfry. As we enter the church we note two tablets, one to the memory of Rev. Francisco D'Assin and the other to Rev. Ricardo Fenelin D'Costa. On the right is the baptismal font, and on the left a staircase leading to the organ loft overhead. By the side of the staircase, covering the remains of Mrs. Grace Elizabeth, is a memorial surmounted by the figure of a cherub sounding a trumpet: fourteen scenes depicting the Way of the Cross adorn the walls.

Proceeding along the main . aisle, we come to the Communion Rails, which separate the nave from the Sanctuary: on the right is the statue of St. Francis Xavier, and on the left one of St. Roch and the marble pulpit. From the centre of the Sanctuary rises the High Altar, unique in its imposing classical architecture and effectively adorned with the majestic statue of Our Blessed Lady of Dolours; behind, in the sacristy, is a portrait of Mrs. Grace Elizabeth. The two statues on either side of the altar are of St. Joseph and St. Ignatius.

To the left of the High Altar, are statues of Our Lady of Good Counsel and St. Augustine, a shrine to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a sculptured representation of Jesus lying in the sepulchre, and an altar dedicated to St. Anthony. In a corresponding space on the other side of the High Altar, is a shrine to St. Philomena, and an altar dedicated to Our Mother of Mercy, THE BLESSED VIRGIN, HOLDING IN HER ARMS THE CHILD JESUS.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source pages 93-95 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. JOSEPH'S COLLEGE

This Institution, situated at No. 69 Bowbazar Street, was founded by Dr. Patrick Joseph Carew, Vicar-Apostolic, nigh on a century ago, under the name of St. Xavier's Day School. It was originally conducted by secular masters, but as this gave unsatisfactory results, Dr. Carew succeeded in enlisting the services of two young men, trained in the Christian Brothers' Schools in Ireland, who, under the name of the Calcutta Christian Brothers, took charge of the Institution in 1850.

In 1871 the name of the school was changed to St. Joseph's Boarding and Day School; later, however, Dr. Paul Count Goethals, the first Archbishop of Calcutta, finding that the Calcutta Christian Brothers were not recruiting enough members to keep pace with the increasing educational wants of the period, brought about their amalgamation with the Irish Christian Brothers, the first batch of whom arrived in Calcutta on the 5th January 1890.

The Irish Christian Brothers are a body of teachers entirely devoted to education. On taking charge of the Institution, they re-opened the Entrance Class, had the school affiliated to the Calcutta University, and achieved remarkable results in this examination. Four years later they introduced a High School Class under the European Code, with equal success. It was at this time that the name of the school was changed to St. Joseph's High School. In 1895 the Brothers erected their present handsome and commodious three-storeyed building, and in 1924 the Institution was affiliated to the Calcutta University in the I. A. and I. Sc. Classes, since when it has been known as St. Joseph's College.

The College has a well furnished Art Hall, up-to-date laboratories, a well-equipped Geographical Hall, an efficient Manual Hall, for wood and metal work, a large Library and a Hall for Debating Club Meetings.

Excellent as St. Joseph's record is in the sphere of education, the College has an equally good reputation in the field of sport, boxing and physical exercises being taught by qualified instructors.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source pages 97-98 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 Street

[…] and farther on (right) is Metcalfe Street leading across Weston Street to the new road which links Chittaranjan Avenue with Dalhousie Square. At No. 66 Metcalfe Street is the Khoja Shia Imami Ismaili Jamatkhana, built by His Highness Sir Sultan Mohommed Shah Aga Khan, for the community of the Shia Imami Ismaili, followers of H. H. the Aga Khan; at No. 91 is the Mehta Parsi Fire Temple.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source pages 171 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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Central Avenue

_Pictures of 1940s Calcutta____________________

Hindusthan Building

Hindusthan building, one of the most modern in Calcutta, was built for an insurance company but occupied upon its completion by the U.S. Army. Locate in the heart of the city, it is the nerve center of all military business, containing post office, finance office, Base Section offices, air, rail booking offices, a radio station, giant post exchange, officers mess and living quarters, signal offices and others.

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

___Contemporary Records of or about 1940s Calcutta_

Chittaranjan Avenue

Assuming we enter Chittaranjan Avenue from Chowringhee Square, we will then have on the right Statesman House and on the left Victoria House and then Bharat Bhawan Building, let in flats for residential and business purposes : on the ground floor are the city offices of the Amrita Bazar Patrika (a daily newspaper) and the Bank of India, Ltd. Facing Bharat Bhawan building is the Central Court. Crossing Meredith Street, at No. 19 of which are the Chinese Choong Ye Thong Church and Meikaung Free School, we pass the Chung Wah Restaurant on the left and reach the crossing of Sooterkins Street. At the corner on the right, is the lofty Himalaya House, in the adjoining building to which are housed the offices of Longmans, Green, Limited; then comes the White House, accommodating the Bengal Government Industrial Museum (Page 115), while on the opposite side stands Magnet House, the offices of the General Electric Supply Company. Crossing Prinsep Street, we come to the new extension of Chittaranjan Avenue, running westwards across Bentinck Street to Dalhousie Square and eastwards to Wellington Street. The handsome, towering building on our right, accommodating Siemens (India) Ltd. (Electrical Engineers), Havero Trading Co., Ltd., Agfa Photo Co., Caltex (India) Ltd. and others, is that of the United India Life Assurance Co., Ltd.

Passing the Calcutta Police G. & H. Section House, accommodating the Hare Street and Bow Bazar Thanas (left), and a roadway giving access to Malanga Haldar and Kenderdine Lanes (right), we come to the intersection of Bow Bazar Street.

Continuing our way along Chittaranjan Avenue, we have on the left Giri Babu Lane and a little higher up, the crossing of Eden Hospital Road. Farther on (left) is Sagore Dutta Lane and Debendra Mullick Street, while on the right are the Eden Hospital, the Eye Infirmary, the Carmichael Hospital for Tropical Diseases, and the Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine. Crossing Colotolla Street, we have on the right the All-India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health and a little farther on, Murali Idhar Sen Lane : on the opposite side we pass Ratu Sirkar Lane, and then Zakariah Street and Tara Chand Dutt Street, both leading to Lower Chitpore Road. At the corner of Tarachand Dutt Street and Chittaranjan Avenue is Moti Lall Seal's Free College, established in 1842; on the right are Mohamed Ali Park, the Calcutta Corporation's Ambulance Station and the Calcutta Fire Brigade (Burra Bazar Branch), by the side of which runs Nil Madhab Sen Lane, where are situated the Police Morgue and the Coroner's Court : facing Nil Madhab Sen Lane, across the thoroughfare, is Syed Salley Lane.

We now cross Harrison Road and note on the left, Bharat Luchmi Cinema; directly opposite it is the Burra Bazar Telephone Exchange Building, and separated from it by Kalabagan Bustee New Road, is Sett Dusendoyal Gajanand Poddar's Marwari Chhatra Niwas (Hostel), housing the office of the All-India Marwari Federation.

Crossing Mechua Bazar Street we have on the left, Shree Vishuddhanand Saraswati Vidyalaya Marwari Boys' School), a fine three-storeyed building accommodating on the ground floor the Marwari Association, founded in 1898. We now cross Munshi Sudderuddin Lane and note on the right Mitra Lane and on the left Chitpore Spur, where is the Burra Bazar Post and Telegraph Office.

Crossing Muktaram Babu Street and passing Kailash Saha Lane, Parbutty Ghose Lane, Bazak Bagan Lane, Tarak Pramanick Road, Jora Pooker Lane (right); and Madan Chatterjee Lane, Baranasi Ghose Street and Pyari Mohan Pal Lane (left), we come to the crossing of Vivekananda Road. At the south-west corner of Chittaranjan Avenue and Vivekananda Road is Girish Park, adorned with the statue of Girish Chunder Qhosh, the great Bengali poet and dramatist.

Continuing our way, we pass on the left, Bolaram De Street, Nundo Mullick Lane, Adwaita Mullick Lane and the Dipali Cinema; and on the right, W. C. Banerjee Street, Thakurdas Chuckerbutty Lane, Ashutosh De Lane, and reach the crossing of Maniktala Street and then that of Beadon Street. We then cross Nilmani Mitra Street, where, at No. 22, is the Baldeodas Maternity Home and Hospital. Farther up (left), is Gauri Sankar Lane, and opposite it a number of small lanes, known as Darzi Para.

Crossing Durga Charan Mitra Street (Sonagachi) and immediately after, Musjidbari Street, we pass Joy Mitter Street and Tarak Chatterjee Lane (left), Ananda Prosad Street and Kali Dutto Street (right), and come to the crossing of Grey Street. A short distance from this point the Avenue cuts through Raja Nabo Krishna Street to Raja Raj Ballav Street. The Improvement Trust Scheme for extending the Avenue through Baghbazar to Chitpore Bridge, is well in hand.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source pages 171-174 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 SCHOOL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE

Trams :—Esplanade/Dalhousie-Shambazar.

Buses :—2, 2A, 13, 14.

Out-Patients Department:—Patients are seen at 10 a.m. on the

following days for the diseases mentioned :

General Tropical Diseases—Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays.

Kala-azar—Mondays, Thursdays.

Diabetes—Thursdays.

Skin Diseases—Wednesdays, Saturdays.

Leprosy and Filariasis—Tuesdays, Fridays.

Antt-Rafcic Treatment:—These cases are attended to at the Pasteur Institute at No. 2 Ballygunge Store Road. Open throughout the year, including Sundays and holidays.

This world-famous Institution, at the south-east corner of Colootolla Street and Chittaranjan Avenue, forms, in conjunction with the Carmichael Hospital for Tropical Diseases, part of the scheme for post-graduate instruction and research in tropical diseases. This scheme was framed by Sir Leonard Rogers, and it is due to his energy and enthusiasm that the present organisation owes its existence. Both School and Hospital were built by contributions raised from public subscriptions, the Research Fund Association, and donations from the Governments of India and Bengal.

The chief object of the School of Tropical Medicine is to raise the standard of efficiency of teachers and to train research workers. Large numbers of medical men from India and abroad receive training in Tropical Medicine : in addition, there are special courses of training in such diseases as leprosy, kala-azar, hookworm disease, etc. Through the generosity of the Rockefeller Foundation, fellowships are granted to members of the staff to enable them to visit Europe and America to study the latest technique and methods of research.

The research side of the Institution aims at the discovery of better methods of treating and preventing the great disabling diseases of India. Each department of medicine has its own staff of qualified experts under an eminent professor, who is a specialist in that particular branch of medical knowledge. During the year the specialised work, discoveries and researches of each department is chronicled in detail in treatises and publications.

In the limited space at our disposal, it is impossible to deal adequately with the valuable work and momentous discoveries made in the field of medical science by the School of Tropical Medicine. We may mention, however, that many of the discoveries of the School have received world-wide acclaim : for instance, the work of the Leprosy Department and the methods of treatment as laid down by the School, is known and carried out throughout the world : while the carrier of Kala-azar, isolated as the sand-fly in the School laboratories, is acknowledged by research workers all the world over.

The School Library. This is an invaluable collection of up-to-date standard works on medical science. It contains over 15,000 volumes dealing comprehensively with every aspect of Tropical Medicine, in addition to other subjects.

The School Museum. This contains a wide variety of pathological specimens and is of great use to medical students and practitioners.

The School is affiliated to the Calcutta University for degrees in D.T.M., D.P.H. & Hy., D.P.H. and L.T.M. The high percentage of successes in these examinations is a great tribute to the efficiency of the School's Professors.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source pages 190-191 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)

CARMICHAEL HOSPITAL FOR TROPICAL DISEASES

Trams :—Esplanade/Dalhousie-Shambazar.

Buses;—2, 2A, 13, 14.

Visiting Hours :—5 to 7 p.m. on weekdays; 4 to 7 p.m. on Sundays.

This Hospital forms the other part of the scheme framed by Sir Leonard Rogers for post-graduate instruction and research in Tropical Diseases.

The building, commodious and handsome, adjoins the School of Tropical Medicine on the south. The foundation stone was laid by Lord Carmichael in 1916, and the structure, of modern architecture, was completed and opened in the following year.

The chief purpose of the Hospital is to keep the research laboratories of the Calcutta School of Tropical

Medicine in touch with Practical Medicine, and to supply suitable patients for the study of the various diseases being investigated. Patients are only admitted if found suitable and must have attended the Out-patients' Department of the School or Tropical Medicine.

The Hospital receives difficult cases of obscure diseases from all parts of India for diagnosis and treatment:

this is undertaken because of the extensive laboratory facilities available, which are far greater than those existing in any other hospital in the East.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source pages 191-192 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 ALL INDIA INSTITUTE OF HYGIENE AND PUBLIC HEALTH

Trams :— Esplanade/Dalhousie-Shambazar.

Buses:—2, 2A, 13, 14.

The idea of establishing such an Institution was mooted as far back as 1860, when a Royal Commission visited India and recommended the formation of a Sanitary Commission for the improvement of health and sanitation. It was not until 1932, however, that the present All-India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health was founded through the generosity of the Rockefeller Foundation, who bought the land and erected, at their own cost, the magnificent four-storeyed building at the north-east corner of Colootolla Street and Chittaranjan Avenue.

The Institute works in close co-operation with the School of Tropical Medicine and a number of investiga- tions have been worked out Jointly by members of the staff of these two Institutions ; it is affiliated to the Calcutta University for degrees in D. P. H. & Hy., diplomas in Maternity and Child Welfare, and other special courses. The Institute comprises the following sections:—

Public Health Administration.

Sanitary Engineering.

Vital Statistics and Epidermiology.

Blood-Chemistry and Nutrition.

Malariology and Rural Hygiene.

Maternity, Child Welfare and School Hygiene.

The Institute has a staff of distinguished Professors and a Library covering a wide variety of books on various medical matters.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source page 192 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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Chitpore Road

_Pictures of 1940s Calcutta___________________

Side street off Bentinck Street, north of tram terminus

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

(source: Glenn S. Hensley: Side street, C014, "Side street off today's Bentinck Street, north of tram terminus." 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 12^th June 2001 and 28^th August 2001)

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

Rabindra Street

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

(source: Glenn S. Hensley: Rabindra Street, C022, Looking south down today's Rabindra Street from the Nakhoda Mosque. I think the dome at right of center on the horizon is the post office on 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 12^th June 2001 and 28^th August 2001)

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

Looking down from Nahkoda Mosque on street activity

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

(source: Glenn S. Hensley: Nahkoda Mosque, C016, "Looking down from Nahkoda Mosque on street activity, Calcutta. Note brick ""blast walls"" to protect from potential bomb damage. These are the vertical walls you will see in front of some buildings' doors." 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 12^th June 2001 and 28^th August 2001)

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

Looking down from Nahkoda Mosque on street activity

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

(source: Glenn S. Hensley: Nahkoda Mosque, C017, "Looking down from Nahkoda Mosque on street activity, Calcutta. Note brick ""blast walls"" to protect from potential bomb damage. These are the vertical walls you will see in front of some buildings' doors." 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 12^th June 2001 and 28^th August 2001)

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

Scene in Nakhoda Mosque, Calcutta

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

(source: Glenn S. Hensley: Nakhoda Mosque, T018, "Scene in Nakhoda Mosque, 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 12^th June 2001 and 28^th August 2001)

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

Coolies in front of Marble Palace

In contrast to the magnificent palace in background, two sweating coolies strain at a load of precious firewood. The building is known as the Marble palace, contains a rich collections of paintings, lavishly furnished. it belongs to a Bengali family who are alleged to feed hundreds of poor daily.

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

Nimtolla [sic] mosque

The Nimtolla [sic] Mosque, largest Mohammedan mosque in Calcutta. Its prayer hall will accommodate 10,000 worshippers. A modern specimen of Indo-Sarascenic architecture, its Minarets (towers) are 151 feet high. GI truck at entrance is waiting for a load of soldiers on American Red Cross tour.

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

___Contemporary Records of or about 1940s Calcutta_

THE NAKHODA MOSQUE

Admission:—Mahomedans (Worshippers), 4 a.m. to midnight. Non-Mahomedans (Visitors), 6 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Location:—1 Zakaria Street (Chitpore).

Trams :—Esplanade-Baghbazar via Chitpore. Esplanade-Belgatchia via Chitpore.

Buses :—4, 4A.

Muslims in Calcutta have every reason to be proud of the beautiful and stately Nakhoda Mosque, a prayer house of distinctive Oriental character and design. Solemn and dignified in its construction, this sacred edifice is modelled on Akbar's tomb at Sikandra near Agra. A notable feature associated with its erection, is that it is the gift of a single small community, the Cutchi Memon Jama'at, a Mahomedan sect in Calcutta, who resolved to present their co-religionists with a mosque that would rank among the greatest "Places of Prayer" in the world.

The foundation stone was laid on the 11^th September 1926, and the building, constructed at a cost of Rs. 15,00,000/-, stands as a lasting monument to the generosity of the Cutchi Memons.

The Mosque, with its large Prayer Hall capable of accommodating 10,000 worshippers, its majestic dome, its two lofty minarets, each 151 feet high, and 25 smaller ones .surmounted by cupolas, whose heights range from 100 to 117 feet, should be a great attraction to visitors.

The entrance is through the lofty arches of two imposing gateways of red sandstone from Dholpur, designed after the famous Buland Gate of Fatehpur-Sikri. Rich ornamental marble, with designs similar to those of the Taj Mahal and other celebrated Muslim edifices in the East, have been lavishly used in the interior.

During the month of Ramazan, beacons visible from a great distance shine from minarets, to indicate to the Faithful the proper time of fast, which all Muslims are called upon to observe.

The Mosque is administered by a Board of Trustees, appointed exclusively from the members of the Cutchi Memon Jama'at.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source page 134 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)

NAKHODA MOSQUE

NAKHODA MOSQUE : It is the largest Mahomedan mosque in Calcutta situated at the junction of Lower Chitpore Road and Zakariah Street. Its prayer hall is capable of accommodating 10,000 worshippers. It is a magnificent modern specimen of Indo-Saracenic architecture with its majestic dome and its two lofty minarets, each 151 feet high.

(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 MARBLE PALACE

Admission :—Free. Open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Trams :—Esplanade/Dalhousie-Baghbazar via Chitpore.

Esplanade/Dalhousie-Belgatchia via Chitpore.

Buses:—4, 4A, 13, 14.

The Marble Palace, situated at No. 50 Muktaram Babu Street in northern Calcutta, is reached by way of Upper Chitpore Road or Central Avenue, the latter being the more convenient route.

The entrance gate on the west is flanked on either side by tall graceful palm trees, that stand like nodding sentinels as if to screen the glory of the Palace from the squalid street without. Entering we pass, as though by the wave of some magic wand, into a veritable garden of fairyland.

The grounds are laid out with artistic merit and lavish profusion; marble figures of Venus, Sophocles, Hermes, Psyche, Demosthenes, Winter, Autumn, Messenger and others, dot the lawns in pleasing harmony and awaken slumbering memories of ancient Macedonia and the legendary gods and heroes of the Greece that was. In the centre is a murmuring fountain, throwing a cascad- ing column of water to an appreciable height, while on the right stands a life-size statue of the founder, Raja Rajendra Mullick Bahadur.

Rippling softly to the north-west of the Palace, is a wide ornamental lake, gleaming with hidden lights and the shimmer of many reflections. In the middle of the lake is a fountain adorned with statues of Greek mythological deities, while mermaids and tritons sport festively among the falling spray. To the north of the lake is the Thakurbari, the sacred abode of the goddess where, in surroundings befitting its calm repose and ethereal splendour, dwells the deity of the Mullick family.

At the southern end of the garden, in a cave, sits a white marble Sannyasi (Hermit) deep in devotion; nearby is a Greek goddess dreaming of Olympus, and across the way, a Boddhisattva (Devotee) wrapped in calm meditation.

The lawns to the west of the Palace are studded with statues and marble curios, too numerous for close detail; of particular interest, however, is an elaborately-carved marble fountain surmounted by a figure of Neptune, complete with trident and realistic squirming fishes.

The Palace is built within the four sides of an inner court, the front being supported by lofty colonnades enclosing a spacious verandah abounding with objects of art, the most imposing being a full-length statue of a Viking, looking uncannily life-like with a horned helmet and a double-headed battle-axe.

Passing through the verandah we gain the western room, displaying a wide variety of statuary, objects of interest, and emblematic figures representing Commerce, Agriculture, etc. In the adjacent room is a large statue of Queen Victoria in Coronation robes, with the British Lion and Unicorn at her feet.

The inner court contains a rare collection of monkeys, while peacocks, parrots and other birds of brilliant plumage add a touch of gorgeous colour, and throw into relief the walls of the Palace.

Flights of steps to the north and south lead to halls on the upper floors, artistically decorated with chandeliers, mirrors, marble statues and other objects of art. The roof is inset with gold, and the floor, paved with marble, is an exquisite blend of many colours.

On the walls hang innumerable paintings; of special interest is that of the "Marriage of St. Catherine", for which an offer of £ 15,000 has been refused, and "The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian", both by Rubens. Other fine paintings include, " The Battle of the Amazons", "Venus and Adonis", "The Last Supper", "The Descent from the' Cross", "Soldiers Review", "Venus Asleep", "Horse Fair", " Apollo flaying Marcyas", "Agrippa", "Cleopatra", and " Queen Victoria and her Consort Prince Albert".

The reception room is lavishly furnished; the walls are edged with marble fonts set with coloured globes, while Japanese and Chinese curios adorn the spacious balconies. The brilliance of the whole is indescribable, reminding one of the grandeur of the Mogul Courts or a page out of the Arabian Nights.

The Marble Palace is the property of the Mullick family, the well-known philanthropists, whose generosity in daily feeding the poor, numbering thousands, stretches back for three generations.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source pages 181-183 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)

MARBLE PALACE

MARBLE PALACE : The Marble Palace, situated at 50 Muktaram Babu Street in northern Calcutta, reached by way of Chittaranjan Avenue, is an imposing structure standing in a very large grounds dotted with statuaries and fountains, aviaries and menagerie. It contains a rich collection of paintings, two of which are said to be by Rubens. The halls are lavishly furnished and richly decorated. The palace belongs to the Bengali family of Mullicks who feed hundreds of poor every day.

(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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College Street

_Pictures of 1940s Calcutta____________________

Coconut market

This coconut market on Cornwallis Street is a sample of the haphazard way in which many bazaars are operated. The popular pauses for refreshment is indulged by Indian in central foreground drinking cocoanut milk.

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

___Contemporary Records of or about 1940s Calcutta_

College Street

Turning left we enter College Street, and note No. 1 on the right, No. 115 on the left. Proceeding, we pass Rupam Cinema and come to Eden Hospital Road; facing Eden Hospital Road is Prem Chand Boral Street leading to Amherst Street. Passing the Medical College Hospitals on the left, and Madan Gopal Lane, Arpuli Lane and Pratab Chatterjee Lane on the right, we reach Mirzapore Street leading across Amherst Street, Harrison Road and Baitakhana Road to Upper Circular Road : opposite Mirzapore Street is Colotolla Street leading across Lower Chitpore Road to Canning Street. At the corner of Mirzapore Street and College Street is College Square […]

To the north of the Square are the Hindu School and the Sanskrit College. Opposite the Square, across College Street, is the Calcutta University, and separated from it by Pyari Sarkar Street leading to Madan Mohan Street, is Hare School, in the grounds of which stands the statue of David Hare, one of the pioneers of English education in India. Farther north is the Presidency College, by the side of which runs Bhowanipore Dutt Lane : next is the Y. M. C. A. (College Branch), occupying the corner of College Street and Harrison Road, while on the opposite side, on the footpath, is the statue of Rai Kristodas Pal Bahadur (1839-1884), the patriot and journalist.

Crossing Harrison Road, and passing Shama Churn Das Street and College Row (right); and College Market and Sumboo Chatterjee Street (left), we come to the point where Mechua Bazar Street leading to Chitpore Road, and Keshab Chandra Sen Street leading to Upper Circular Road, stand facing each other.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source pages 174-175 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 MEDICAL COLLEGE HOSPITALS

Trams :—Esplanade/Dalhousie-Shambazar.

Buses :—2, 2A, 13, 14.

The Medical College, the Prince of Wales and Ezra Hospitals:—

Out Patients—From 8 to 10 a.m. daily, except Sundays.

In Patients ;—Visiting Hours—5 to 7 p.m. on weekdays. 4 to 7 p.m. on Sundays.

The Medical College Group of Hospitals at No. 88 College Street covers an area of about 18 acres and is bounded on the north by Colootolla Street, on the south by Eden Hospital Road, on the east by College Street and on the west by Central Avenue. ,

The original Medical College Hospital, a white three-storeyed structure in the Corinthian style of architecture, with wards accommodating over 300 patients, open verandahs and an operating theatre, was designed and erected by Messrs. Burn & Co. The foundation stone was laid with Masonic ceremony by the Marquess of Dalhousie in September 1848, and the building completed and opened in December 1852. The cost was met from the balance of the money in the hands of the Lottery Committee, and funds from the old and new Fever Hospitals, supplemented by a donation of Rs. 50,000 from Raja Pertab, Singh. Wards for the treatment of tuberculosis and diphtheria cases have recently been installed on the roof, while on the ground floor is accommodated the Venereal Department.

To the north of this Hospital is the

EZRA HOSPITAL

This was built in 1886-87, with provision for twenty beds, by the philanthropist Mrs. Moselle Ezra, in remembrance of her husband, Mr. E. D. J. Ezra.

Adjoining the Ezra Hospital on the east is the

CHEST, EAR, NOSE, THROAT AND DENTAL DEPTS.

Out-Patients:—From 8 a.m. daily, except Sundays. This block as the original Eye Infirmary, built in 1891 and named after Sham Churn Law, who provided the funds for its erection. A munificent donation by the philanthropist Soorajmull Nagarmull has enabled the Hospital authorities to extend the building in the rear and to establish a Chest Department, fitted with operating, X-ray and research rooms.

SIR JOHN ANDERSON CASUALTY BLOCK

This handsome structure, immediately to the south of the Medical College Hospital, was built and completed in 1937, in commemoration of the centenary of the College, and named after Sir John Anderson, then Governor of Bengal. The department, which is open day and night, is a self-contained unit, equipped with all facilities for the immediate treatment of casualty cases. In the rear of this block is accommodated the Skin Department, open from 8 to 10 a.m. on weekdays. The Hospital's Enquiry Office (Phone B. B. 1076) is also located here.

PRINCE OF WALES HOSPITAL

This red brick building, directly to the south of the Sir John Anderson Casualty Block, was erected in 1910, with beds for 88 surgical cases. In the northern wing, on the first floor of this Hospital, within easy reach of the General Out-door Departments and the Electrotherapy Treatment Rooms, is the X-Ray Department, open from 8 a.m. daily, except Sundays.

EDEN HOSPITAL

Out-Patients:—From 8-30 to 10 a.m. daily, except Sundays.

In-Patients:—Visiting hours—5 to 6-30 p.m. on weekdays; 4 to 6-30 p.m. on Sundays. Children allowed only on Sunday evenings.

This grey three-storeyed building, situated directly to the west of the Prince of Wales Hospital, with provision for 130 patients, chiefly maternity and gynaecological cases, was built in 1880 to relieve the great pressure for accommodation in the Medical College Hospital. Erected from Government grants and public donations, and named after Sir Ashley Eden, then Lieutenant-Governer of Bengal, this Hospital, consisting of a central block and four wings, one at each corner, was at the time of its erection considered to be one of the finest and most up-to-date in the world. Another three-storeyed building, adjoining the original block, has recently been erected for the same purpose.

A few yards to the south of the Eden Hospital is the Female Isolation Ward, for the treatment of septic cases.

EYE INFIRMARY

Out-Patients:—From 8 to 9-30 a.m. daily, except Sundays.

Visiting Hours:—5 to 7 p.m. on weekdays; 4 to 7 p.m. on Sundays.

This striking, commodious, three-storeyed building, occupying the space between the Eden and Carmichael Hospitals, with the main entrance on Chittaranjan Avenue, was erected in 1926 with provision for 140 beds. The Infirmary is staffed with highly qualified eye-specialists and is fully equipped with the most up-to-date apparatus, embodying the latest discoveries in the field of ophthalmic surgery.

The row of buildings on the south, extending along Eden Hospital Road, houses the nursing staff of the hospitals.

The average number of in-patients admitted to this group of hospitals is greatly in excess of actual provision made, and the urgent necessity of providing additional blocks and wards is under consideration. At present the Sir John Anderson Casualty Ward is being extended on the south.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source pages 185-187 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)

College Square

At the corner of Mirzapore Street and College Street is College Square, adorned with the statues of the great philanthropist, the Hon'ble Rai Radha Charan Pal (1867-1922), and that noted educationalist and reformer, Pandit Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar (1820-1891). On the south is a memorial to David Hare and the club house of the Bow Bazar Byayam Samity and the Salendra Memorial Swimming Club: on the north is the club house of the College Square Swimming Club and on the east, the Bengali War Memorial. The Square has a large swimming pool equipped with spring boards, diving towers and other modern swimming facilities; it is the venue of frequent swimming championships, and many an endurance record has been set up in its waters.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source pages 174 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)

Swimming in College Square

and the club house of the Bow Bazar Byayam Samity and the Salendra Memorial Swimming Club: on the north is the club house of the College Square Swimming Club and on the east, the Bengali War Memorial. The Square has a large swimming pool equipped with spring boards, diving towers and other modern swimming facilities; it is the venue of frequent swimming championships, and many an endurance record has been set up in its waters.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source pages 174 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 BENGALEE WAR MEMORIAL

Facing the Calcutta University Senate House in College Square is THE BENGALEE WAR MEMORIAL, a simple column of stone mounted on a white marble pedestal, inscribed with the words,

"In memory

of members of

The 45th. Bengalee Regiment

Who died in the Great War

1914-1918

To the Glory of God, King and Country."

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 CALCUTTA UNIVERSITY

Trams :—Dalhousie/Esplanade-Shambazar.

Buses :—Nos. 2, 2A.

The Calcutta University, the first in India, was founded in 1857 as an examining and degree-conferring body. In 1904 it became a teaching and research organisation, with numerous affiliated schools and colleges.

The Governing Body of the University—the Senate—consists of the Chancellor, who (Vide Act VII of 1921), is always the Governor of the Province, a nominated Vice-Chancellor, who is the Chairman, and the ex-officio Fellows and the Ordinary Fellows.

The University in its early years was housed in rented premises. In 1864 a site was acquired in College Street and two years later the foundation stone of the University Senate Hall was laid. The building, constructed by the P. W. D., was completed in 1872 at a cost of Rs. 4,34,697, and occupied by the University in the following year.

The Senate House, an imposing structure, is flanked on either side by spacious verandahs, and fronted by a handsome portico supported by Ionic columns. In the centre of the portico is a marble statue of the late Hon'ble Prosunno Coomar Tagore, C.S.I., (1803-1868), founder of the Tagore Law Professorship. The Hall, supported by Corinthian pillars, is about 60 feet in width and 200 feet in length, with a lofty roof painted in service grey. It is used as an examination hall, a lecture hall, and for the annual convocation of the University.

The entrance to the Senate Hall is adorned with the" busts of Raja Rajendralal Mitra (1824-1891), Doctor of Law; Charles Henry Fawney, Fellow of the University;

Nawab Bahadur Abdul Latiff (1828-1893), Member of the Senate; Henry Woodrow (1823-1876), Fellow of the University and Director of Public Instruction, Bengal;

James Sutcliffe (1824-1878), Registrar of the University and Director of Public Instruction; Sir Gooroo Dass Bannerjee (1844-1918), First Indian Vice-chancellor; Sir Cecil Beadon (1816-1880), Fellow of the University and Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal; Maharajah Bahadur Sir Jatindra Mohan Tagore; Sir Alfred Woodley Croft, Vice-Chancellor and Director of Public Instruction; an oil painting of Queen Victoria; a bronze plaque of Sir Ramesh Chandra Mitter (1840-1899); and a memorial tablet to Caulfield Aylmer Martin, Fellow of the University and Director of Public Instruction.

The walls are lined with large oil paintings of notabilities closely associated with the University, including those of Muhammad Mohsin; Sir Ashutosh Mookerjee, Vice-Chancellor; Sir Taraknath Palit (1841-1914); and Sir Rashbehary Ghose (1845-1921).

To the west of the Senate Hall is the Darbhanga Building, erected at a cost of over Rs. 8,00,000, towards which the Maharajah of Darbhanga contributed Rs. 2,50,000. It contains the Law College, the University Offices, an Examination Hall for 700 students, and the Library named after its patron, Maharajah Sir Ramoswar Singh of Darbhanga, who has been nominated a Fellow of the University for life.

The Library is stocked with numerous books on English Literature ; works of the chief authorities on Indian antiquities ; sets of Sanskrit, Pali, Arabic, Persian, Latin, French and German classics ; a good collection of Mathematical, Philosophical, Religious, Historical (including Biographical, Geographical, Philological and Anthropological) books ; a large number of recent editions by well-known writers on Economics, Politics and Sociology ; Reports of Blue Books ; and some very valuable sets of Bengali and Tibetan manuscripts.

The Hardinge Hindu Hostel, with accommodation for 150 students, is situated to the south of the Darbhanga Building.

The land south of the Senate House was acquired out of a Government grant of Rs. 8,00,000 for the erection of some of the more important departments of Post-Graduate teaching in Arts. The building, originally a two-storeyed structure named after Sir Ashutosh Mookerjee, Kt., C. S. I., was opened by the Governor of Bengal in 1926 ; a third storey was added in 1927 and in the following year, yet another floor was constructed.

The University College of Science and Technology, which came into being through the munificence of Sir Taraknath Palit and Sir Rashbehary Ghose, is situated at 92 Upper Circular Road and 35 Ballygunge Circular Road. The College possesses an up-to-date technical workshop, in addition to laboratories for Physics, Applied Physics, Chemistry, Applied Chemistry, Applied Mathematics and Experimental Psychology ; the Biological Laboratories are located in the Ballygunge building.

A generous gift from the late Raja of Khaira has enabled the University to establish a chair for Agriculture, and steps have been taken to build an Agricultural laboratory and acquire a plot of land for experimental farming.

The Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, Dublin, Edinburgh and Liverpool recognise the degrees of the Calcutta University, and under certain conditions accept post-graduates at their Universities.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source pages 185-187 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 UNIVERSITY

CALCUTTA UNIVERSITY : The University of Calcutta, the first in India, was founded in 1857. The Senate House stands on College Street, facing College Square. An imposing structure, the lofy Hall, supported by Corinthian pillars, is used for lectures, the annual convocation and examinations. To the west of the Senate House, the Darbhanga Buildings house the University Law College and the Registrar's offices. The Asutosh Buildings house the splendid University Library, the Post-Graduate classes and a museum of art. The University College of Science and Technology is located at 92 Upper Circular Road with a section at Ballygunge Circular Road.

The Medical College Hospitals, the Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine and Hospital for Tropical Diseases, the All-India Institute of Hygiene (the gift of the Rockefeller Foundation of America) are all located round about the University as also the Presidency College, the Sanskrit College and Calcutta University Institute.

(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 CORPORATION COMMERCIAL MUSEUM

This is situated at the corner of College Street and Cornwallis Street. It has been started with the object of collecting and exhibiting specimens of industrial and agricultural products of India, Burma and Ceylon, for the purpose of making them better known to consumers. Catalogues and samples from overseas markets are also received and exhibited for the guidance of manufacturers.

The Museum, while acting as an intermediary between buyers and sellers, by putting them in touch with one another, performs the function of an intelligence bureau, furnishing information on all industrial and commercial subjects.

Lectures and demonstrations are frequently given on industry, commerce, other allied subjects, and sanitation. In the library attached to the museum, are collections of Indian and foreign publications on commerce and industry; also current newspapers, magazines, reports, year books, etc.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source pages 140-141 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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Cornwallis Street

_Pictures of 1940s Calcutta____________________

___Contemporary Records of or about 1940s Calcutta_

Cornwallis Street

Proceeding along the main thoroughfare, which has now become Cornwallis Street, we note No. 1 on the right, No. 225 on the left. Immediately on the left is the Corporation's Commercial Museum and Free Reading Room (Page 140); lower down is Mechua Bazar Lane and then Muktaram Row, and facing right, Bechu Chatterjee Street leading to Amherst Street. A little way along, on the left, is Muktaram Babu Street leading across Chittaranjan Avenue to Upper Chitpore Road, while on the right is Sankar Ghose Lane leading to Bechu Chatterjee Street, at No. 39 of which is Vidyasagar College. Next, on the left, is Sadharan Bramho Samaj Library, Free Reading Room and Prayer Hall, and on the right Vidyasagar Hostel, adjoining which is the Arya Samaj Meeting and Prayer Hall. Passing Lalit Kumari Charitable Dispensary, Simla Street leading to Vivekananda Road, Tarak Pramminic Road, the Women's Department of the Vidyasagar College (left), and Sib Narain Das Lane, Kailash Bose Street and Dinabandhu Lane (right), we reach the point where Maniktala Spur and Vivekananda Road stand opposite each other. At the corner of Maniktala Spur and Cornwallis Street stands the Oxford University Mission House; by the side is Kishori Lall Mukerjee Lane, and a little higher up. Rev. Kali Bannerjee Row.

Next on the left, is Gour Mohan Mukerjee Street, Simla Lane, and the Reading Rooms and Preaching Hall of the United Scottish Church Mission.

We now cross Maniktala Street and note Christ Church at the corner on the left; adjoining is Bethune College: on the opposite side lies Cornwallis Square, one of the finest in north Calcutta.

[…]

Crossing Beadon Street, we note on the left, Sibu Biswas Lane and then Kasi Bose Lane, and on the right Ray Bagan Street, the Lady ]ane Dundas Scottish Church College Hostel, and the Scottish Church Collegiate School. Passing Been Chose Lane, Brindaban Bose Lane, Abhoy Goho Road leading to Hari Ghosh Street, and Hemendra Sen Street (left), and Sahitya Prasad Street leading to Upper Circular Road, the Rung Mahal Theatre, Raja Raj Kishan Street, the Rupabani Talkie House, Raja Bagan Street and the Star Theatre (right), we reach the crossing of Grey Street.

Pursuing our way, we have on the left, Guru Charan Lane, the Uttara Cinema, the Shree Cinema, Shampooker Street leading to Shambazar Street, and Padda Nath Lane, and on the right, Nalin Sarkar Street, Sikdar Bagan Street, the Chitra Cinema, and Mohan Bagan Lane leading to Upper Circular Road.

Bolaram Chose Street and Narayatna Lane (left) and Phariapuker Street and Kalachand Sanyal Lane (right), bring us to the point where Upper Circular Road on the right and an extension of Chittaranjan Avenue on the left, form a junction with Cornwallis Street.

Proceeding along Cornwallis Street, we have on the right, R. G. Kar Road and Shambazar Market, and on the left, Mahendra Bose Lane and Baghbazar Street leading to Upper Chitpore Road : facing Baghbazar Street is Bhabanath Sen Street. Next comes Pal Street and then Dakshina Sen Lane. Gopi Mohan Dutt Lane and Akhoy Bose Lane (left) bring us to the foot of Tallah Bridge, at the point where Cornwallis Street joins Galiffe Street. Crossing Tallah Bridge we gain Barrackpore Trunk Road: a short distance to the right stands the elevated Reservoir of Tallah (Page 141).

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source pages 175-177 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)

Cornwallis Square

We now cross Maniktala Street and note Christ Church at the corner on the left; adjoining is Bethune College: on the opposite side lies Cornwallis Square, one of the finest in north Calcutta. It has a large oval-shaped swimming pool, equipped with diving towers, spring boards, special swimming tracks and other facilities for aquatic sports and championships. On the east is the club house of the Central Swimming Club and that of the National Swimming Association (affiliated to the Royal Life Saving Society of London), while in the north-west corner stands a statue of the philanthropist, Butto Kristo Paul (1835-1914). The Square is reserved for ladies during the hours of 5 to 6. 30 a. m. in the summer and 6 to 7. 30 a. m. in the winter.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source pages 176 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)

SCOTTISH CHURCH COLLEGE

Trams :—Esplanade/Dalhousie to Shambazar.

Buses :—2, 2A.

Situated at Cornwallis Square in the north of Calcutta, the Scottish Church College stands unique among the several educational institutions of the city in as much as it was founded for the propagation of the Gospel more than a century ago, and to the present day still retain the characteristics of its foundation.

In 1830 the Rev. Alexander Duff, the first missionairy to India of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, started this well-known Institution for spreading the Christian doctrine through education at once liberal

and religious on Western principles, with English as the medium of instruction in the higher classes. The College was then known as the General Assembly's Institution. In 1843, on Rev. Duff and his colleagues joining the Free Church of Scotland, a second similar institution was founded and named the Free Church of Scotland Institution, which was renamed Duff College on the death of its founder.

In 1908, the General Assembly's Institution and the Duff College were united under the name of the Scottish Churches' College, and in 1929, on the reunion of the - Churches of Scotland, the distinctive plural "Churches was singularized and the Institution since then has been known as the Scottish Church College.

The College is affiliated to the Calcutta University in the LA., I. Sc., B.A., B.A. (Hons.), B.Sc., B.Sc.(Hons-) and B. T. (for women students only) and is equipped with an up-to-date laboratory and a well-stocked library. There is a distinguished staff of Professors, who are responsible for the many successes in the University Examinations. Classes are open to both men and women students, who are accommodated in five hostels. There is a College Magazine and a College Union, and in the field of sport the Institution is well to the fore.

Attached to the College is a Welfare Guild, which has established a free Night School for the poor boys of the the neighbourhood.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source page137 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)

Swimming in Cornwallis Square

Cornwallis Square, one of the finest in north Calcutta. It has a large oval-shaped swimming pool, equipped with diving towers, spring boards, special swimming tracks and other facilities for aquatic sports and championships. On the east is the club house of the Central Swimming Club and that of the National Swimming Association (affiliated to the Royal Life Saving Society of London), […] The Square is reserved for ladies during the hours of 5 to 6. 30 a. m. in the summer and 6 to 7. 30 a. m. in the winter.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source pages 176 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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Upper Circular Road

_Pictures of 1940s Calcutta____________________

Jain temple

The Jain temple, Parashnath Mandir, is Calcutta's gaudiest and most elaborate temple. The Jains are a sect of the Hindus, a great many of whom belong to the money-lending class, are shrewd and frequently wealthy. Jains do not believe in taking a life, often even wear a nostril veil to prevent inhaling of insects.

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

___Contemporary Records of or about 1940s Calcutta_

Upper Circular Road

Thence we turn left into Upper Circular Road, and note No. 1 on the left, No. 307 on the right.

Proceeding we pass on the right, an obelisk erected to the memory of those employees of the Eastern Bengal Railway who fell in the Great War (1914-18); next is the Eastern Bengal Railway's Sealdah Station, stretching away to the Roman Catholic Cemetery and the Church of St. John the Evangelist, bounded on the north by the Railway Traffic Quarters. On the left we have the Sealdah Market, Harrison Road leading to Howrah Bridge, Punchu Khansama Lane, the Church of Scotland Mission, St. Andrew's Girls' School, Hyat Khan Lane, the offices of the "Forward" (a weekly newspaper), Musalmanpara Lane and Mirzapore Street leading to College Street. Facing Mirzapore Street is Kaiser Street leading to the Clem Browne Institute, with the Manson Institute at the corner of Kaiser Street and Upper Circular Road.

Next on the left, is Anthony Bagan Lane and a few steps higher up the Fendall Home, alongside which runs Kali Shome Street leading to Baitakhana Road.

Continuing our way, we pass on the right, the Calcutta Medical School Hospital (formerly King's Hospital), by the side of which runs Maharanee Surnomoyee Road leading to Canal "West Road. Passing Keshab Sen Lane and then the Victoria Institution College and School for Girls, we come to Keshab Chandra Sen Street (formerly Mechua Bazar Street): opposite Keshab Chandra Sen Street is Gas Street leading past Raja Dinendra Street to Narkeldanga Main Road, and a little higher up is Shyama Das Baidya Sastra Pith College and Hospital (National Ayurvedic), bounded on the north by Raja Raj Narain Street. Directly facing Raja Raj Narain Street is the University Science College (Sir Tarak Nath Palit Laboratory), and separated from it by Parshi Bagan Lane is the well-known Sir Jagadish Chunder Bose Research Institute.

Pursuing our way along the main thoroughfare, we pass on the right, in succession, Greer Park (Reserved for ladies), Brahmo Balika Shikshalaya Girls' School, Federation Street, the Deaf and Dumb School, and Garpar Road leading across Raja Dinendra Street to Canal West Road ; and on the left, Vidyasagar Street, Badur Bagan Lane, Ram Krishna Dass Lane and Sukeas Street leading to Amherst Street. Directly opposite Sukeas Street is Ram Mohan Roy Road, at the entrance to which is the Ram Mohan Library and Free Reading Room, founded by Maharsi Davonath Tagore in memory of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, founder of the Brahmo Samaj religion. Adjoining the library is the Calcutta Homoeopathic Hospital and College of Homoeopathy, established in 1882 ; next is Bahir Mirzapur Road leading to Raja Dinendra Street. The Charitable Leper Dispensary is at No. 259 Upper Circular Road, and on the opposite side, at No. 113, is the Northern District Police Office ; a tablet let into the wall at the gate bears the following inscription :—

"From 1814 to 1830 this house was the residence of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, founder of Brahmo Samaj, born 1772, died 1833."

Passing Badur Bagan Row, Amherst Row, the Calcutta Commercial Bank, Ltd. and Chaya Cinema (left), and Jugipara Main Road leading to Raja Dinendra Street (right), we come to the point where Maniktala Street and Maniktala Road stand facing each other. Next on the left we pass Maniktala Market, Beadon Street leading to Upper Chitpore Road, Karbella Tank Lane and Peora Bagan Street; and on the right, Haji Zakaria Lane, and Haisi Bagan Road leading to the well-known Jain Temples (Parashnath Mandir) by way of Badridas Temple Street; facing Haisi Bagan Road is Sahitya Parishad Street leading to Cornwallis Street.

Proceeding, we have on the right, Kali Palit Lane and Nandan Bagan Street leading to Raja Dinendra Street; farther on is Ultadanga Road leading to Ultadanga Railway Station, while on the left we have, Raja Raj Kissen Street, Madhab Das Lane, Grey Street leading across Cornwallis Street to Upper Chitpore Road, Nalin Sircar Street leading to Cornwallis Street, Govindra Mitra Lane, Mohan Bagan Lane and Mohan Bagan Row.

On the opposite side we note Nilamber Mukerjee Street running eastwards and joining Raja Dinendra Street in front of the main entrance of Deshbandhu Park.

[…]

Phariapukur Street and Kala Chand Sanyal Lane on the left; Lalit Mitra Lane, Ram Ratan Bose Lane and Mohan Lall Street on the right, bring us to the end ofUpper Circular Road ; […]

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source pages 176-180 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)

Deshbandhu Park

On the opposite side we note Nilamber Mukerjee Street running eastwards and joining Raja Dinendra Street in front of the main entrance of Deshbandhu Park.

This Park, named after the late Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Dass, is one of the largest in northern Calcutta; it is well laid out with wide gravelled paths, smooth lawns and a large variety of plants and shrubs, and is adorned with the bust of Dr. Suresh Chandra Bhattacharya. The Park contains a swimming pool, a physical culture enclosure, cement and grass tennis courts, and recreation grounds where football and cricket are played in season. The northern half of the Park, containing a picturesque pavilion, swings and basket-ball grounds, is reserved for ladies. The Park is occasionally used for civic and political gatherings.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source pages 180 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)

R. G. Kar Road

turning right [from Upper Circular Road] we enter R. G. Kar Road. Down R. G. Kar Road, on the right, is Raja Dinendra Street leading to Gas Street, and on the left, Pal Street leading to Cornwallis Street. We have now reached the foot of Belgatchia Bridge, with Galiffe Street on the left leading past Tallah Bridge to Chitpore Bridge, and Canal West Road on the right leading to Belliaghatta Main Road.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source pages 176 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 JAIN TEMPLES

Admission :—Free. Open to the public daily from sunrise to sunset and on moonlight nights by arrangement with the Temple authorities.

Buses :—3, 3A, 10, 33.

The famous Jain Temples, better known as Parashnath Mandir, situated in Badridas Temple Street, are reached from Upper Circular Road by way of Haisi Bagan Road. The entrance to this road is marked by two ornamental pillars, one bearing the inscription in English : "Road to the temple garden of Rai Budree Doss, Bahadur, Mookeem to His Excellency the Viceroy."

Proceeding down Haisi Bagan Road and crossing Raja Direndra Street, we turn left into Badridas Temple Street and come in sight of the Temples. These are four in number, the most important being that dedicated to Shree Shree Sheetalnathji, the tenth of the twenty-four Jain deities. Access to this Temple is gained through a lofty triple-storeyed gatehouse, flanked on either side by crouching lions. A marble tablet in the handsome portico beneath, records that the Temple was built in 1867 by Rai Budree Doss, Bahadur.

The garden within, brightened by a variety of ornamental stonework and adorned with artistic statuettes, is a fitting background to the beauty of the Temple. On the north is the Reception Hall and the Temple Museum, in the centre a miniature lake, gleaming like illusive quicksilver, reflecting the sun in a bewildering array of prismatic colours, its widening ripples indicating the presence of silvery fish. Nearby, softly murmuring fountains, in an old-world setting, give an impression of soothing coolness and a feeling of quiet repose and tranquillity; while high above the verdant greenness of the garden towers the many-pointed spire of the Temple, flashing back the rays of the sun in extravagant beams of kaleidoscopic light.

Turning left and ascending thirteen steps of marble, inlaid with coloured mosaic, we gain the Temple verandah, enclosed with a railing of filigree-worked metal and winding in pleasing curves round the northern and southern sides of the Temple. Here, supported by elaborately-worked pillars, is the sanctuary which, with its luxuriant decoration, fairy-like and fantastic, is almost unsurpassed for beauty. One feels that one cannot re-impose on paper the sheer play of colours, mingling and merging in beams of light that seem to have a volition of their own, that meet the eye; while large mirrors, glittering chandeliers and many-coloured crystals, twinkling from a hundred facets, add to our mental bewilderment.

A doorway from the sanctuary gives access to the Inner Holy of Holies where, directly under the spire, on an illuminated altar encircled by richly-gilt pillars, and enternally guarded by images ofAnand Swami and Gatan Swami, reposes the deity in awesome calmness, wearing a necklace of gold, and constantly garlanded with everfresh and fragrant roses.

To the south of the Temple of Shree Shree Sheetalnathji is the Temple dedicated to the worship ot Shree Shree Chanda Probhujees, built by Ganeshlall Kapurchand Jahoor in 1895. A short distance to the right, approached through a yellow masonry archway and set in beautiful gardens, is the Temple dedicated to the worship of Dadaji Guru and Kusuiji Maharaj. The shrine stands on a marble platform and in the Inner Sanctuary, behind locked doors, are the feet of the deities. On the north are the clustering spires of the fourth Temple where, in an inner court, paved with coloured stonework of a rich and variegated design, reigns Mahabir, the last of the twenty-four Jain deities.

The Jains in Calcutta are a small community, being mostly merchants and bankers. Their religion was founded by Mahavira Vardhamana, and is presumed to have started in Marwar in about the 6th century B. C. The Jains believe in reincarnation; their Faith hinges on the maxim, "Regard for life is the highest virtue." No Jain will willingly destroy life, no matter how insignificant.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source pages 183-184 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 the original submitter/author)

JAIN TEMPLE

JAIN TEMPLE : The famous Jain Temple, better known as Parashnath Mandir, situated in Badridas Temple Street, is reached from Upper Circular Road down Halisbagan Road.

(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 BOSE INSTITUTE

THE BOSE INSTITUTE : This institute of science and research founded by the late Sir J.C. Bose, the famous Bengalee Biologist, is located at 93/1 Upper Circular Road (next door to the University College of Science) in a beautiful building with ancient Indian Architectural features, set amidst lovely grounds. Researchers are carried on here on the fundamental unity of plant and animal life.

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

BANGIYA SAHITYA PARISHAD

BANGIYA SAHITYA PARISHAD : The Academy of Bengali Literature located at 243/1 Upper Circular Road houses a fine library of English and Bengali books, a rare collection of Sanskrit and Bengali manuscripts, a museum of Indian sculptures and bronzes and a portrait gallery of eminent Bengali literary men.

(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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Belgatchia

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___Contemporary Records of or about 1940s Calcutta_

Belgatchia Road

Crossing Belgatchia Bridge, we gain Belgatchia Road leading to Jessore Road. Immediately on the right is Rai Charan Sadhu Khan Road, leading across Daspara Bridge to Woozir Choudhury Road, and on the left, the Carmichael Medical College and Hospital, founded through the untiring energy of Dr. R. G. Kar, whose marble bust adorns the portico of the Hospital's Central Block. By the side of the Hospital runs Manmatha Nath Ganguly Road.

Proceeding along the main thoroughfare we have on the right, Jiban Krishna Ghose Road leading to the Eastern Bengal Railway's Gilmore Institute and Traffic Quarters ; and on the left, Olai Chandi Road leading to the elevated Reservoir of Tallah and Indra Biswas Road leading to Barrackpore Trunk Road. A short distance down the thoroughfare, on the left, is the newly-constructed road leading to Paikpara.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source pages 176 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 ELEVATED RESERVOIR AT TALLAH

The elevated reservoir at Tallah, said to be one of the largest of its kind in the world, is situated on the Barrackpore Trunk Road, a short distance from Tallah Bridge. It consists of a steel tank, 110 feet above ground level, supported on steel columns. The tank is 16 feet deep, with a floor surface of 321 square feet and a capacity of 9 million gallons.

The north-east column was placed in position on the 18th November 1909, by Sir Edward Baker, then Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, and the reservoir, constructed and erected by Messrs. Clayton, Son & Co. Ltd., of Leeds, England, at a cost of Rs. 23 ½ lakhs, was completed on the 12th January 1911, and brought into use on the 16th May of the same year. Messrs. A. Earle and W. McCabe were Chairman and Chief-Engineer respectively of the Calcutta Corporation during its construction.

The tank is divided into four compartments which can be used independently of one another, so that. one or more compartments can at any time be thrown out of work for cleaning or repair purposes without any interruption to the water supply of the city. The reservoir distributes water over a distance of 522 miles of watermains through no less than 62,230 house connections.:

The daily supply of filtered water for the whole city is estimated at 67,548,000 gallons, or an average of 25 gallons per head per day. The daily supply of unfiltered water is estimated at 54,323,000 gallons.

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source page 141 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___________________

Upper Chitpur Road

… Upper Chitpur Road the busiest road in Calcutta at that time. With all the trams and cars and people going by and the din of motor horns and hawkers. It bemused me how they could work in that cacophony! Until the early Forties this area also used to be famous for her prostitutes and the singing and dancing girls. If you passed in the night, you could hear the sound of the bells on the legs of the dancing girls and the sound of their singing and instrumental music.

Ravi Shankar, sitar player. Calcutta, 1942

(source: Ravi Shankar / George Harrison (ed.): “Raga Mala – An Autobiography”, New York: Welcome Rain Publishers, 1999.)

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

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Guided Tour North: Bentinck Street to Paikpara

Introduction

Bow Bazar Street

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Downtown Calcutta street scene

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

_____Contemporary Records of or about 1940s Calcutta___

Bow Bazar Street

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source pages 171-178 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF DOLOURS

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source pages 93-95 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

ST. JOSEPH'S COLLEGE

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source pages 97-98 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

Metcalfe Street

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source pages 171 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

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Central Avenue

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Hindusthan Building

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

_____Contemporary Records of or about 1940s Calcutta___

Chittaranjan Avenue

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source pages 171-174 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

CALCUTTA SCHOOL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source pages 190-191 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

CARMICHAEL HOSPITAL FOR TROPICAL DISEASES

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source pages 191-192 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

THE ALL INDIA INSTITUTE OF HYGIENE AND PUBLIC HEALTH

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source page 192 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

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Chitpore Road

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Side street off Bentinck Street, north of tram terminus

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

Rabindra Street

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

Looking down from Nahkoda Mosque on street activity

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

Looking down from Nahkoda Mosque on street activity

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

Scene in Nakhoda Mosque, Calcutta

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

Coolies in front of Marble Palace

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

Nimtolla [sic] mosque

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

_____Contemporary Records of or about 1940s Calcutta___

THE NAKHODA MOSQUE

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source page 134 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

NAKHODA MOSQUE

THE MARBLE PALACE

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source pages 181-183 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

MARBLE PALACE

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College Street

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Coconut market

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

_____Contemporary Records of or about 1940s Calcutta___

College Street

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source pages 174-175 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

THE MEDICAL COLLEGE HOSPITALS

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source pages 185-187 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

College Square

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

(source pages 174 of John Barry: “Calcutta 1940” Calcutta: Central Press, 1940.)

Swimming in College Square

John Barry, journalist, Calcutta, 1939/40

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___Contemporary Records of or about 1940s Calcutta_

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___Contemporary Records of or about 1940s Calcutta_

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