Bombay, A 100 Years Ago...
From seven desolate islands to a mass of pulsating energy, the city of Bombay would be unrecognisable today if it were not for some structures that stood the test of time. Whether it is the Victoria Terminus, the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, the Town Hall or the Prince of Wales Museum, our heritage landmarks still stand proud despite facing the wrath of Nature’s elements and
man’s negligence. Lest it be forgotten, World Luxury Council (India) presents a series of vintage prints that capture the Bombay that once was young, full of potential and eager to grow. Sit in silence on the stone steps of Apollo Bunder, walk along the Esplanade Road, chuckle at the statue of King Edward astride on his ‘kala ghoda’, venture into the campus of the University of Bombay, marvel at the grandeur of the Victoria Terminus, and appreciate the unhindered view from Malabar Hill… All this, and more, is possible if you allow yourself to be immersed into these archival prints of a Bombay bygone. Although a price has been paid for progress, and some may argue that Bombay lacks its former character, you will find that its magnetism still exists. After all, Bombay was the first in the country to have an opera house (The Royal Opera House at Lamington Road); it was the site that commemorated the first-ever visit of a British monarch to India (Gateway of India at Apollo Bunder); and housed the first building in the nation to be lit up by electricity (Crawford Market at DN Road). So that the spirit of Bombay could be kept alive and efforts be made to preserve the city’s tangible heritage, this collection was conceived. The next time you visit at St Andrew’s Church, you will look for the cross in its compound and know that it is one of the largest and oldest of its kind in the city. When you are at Kala Ghoda, you will imagine what the area looked like before the statue of King Edward was removed. And when you shop at the Sahakari Bhandar on Wodehouse Road, you will pause to wonder what it must have been like in the time it was the Majestic Hotel. We hope that you will cherish these sepia-toned memories of Bombay and embark upon this fascinating journey of unearthing the wonderful past of this glorious city.
