Sunday, 27 November 2011
Church Gauhati
1860
General
view of the church and grounds, with figures posed in the foreground and on the
path, photographed by Oscar Jean Baptiste Mallitte in the 1860s. The church has
crenellated engaged bastions, arched windows and pointed finials typical of
neo-Gothic architecture in Europe. This direct transposition of European
stylistic features to buildings in the sub-continent is a theme seen in many
examples of colonial British architecture in India. Guwahati, once known as
Pragjyotishpura (the Eastern City of Light), is capital of the state of Assam
and is at the centre of the most important tea growing area of India. The town
is situated on the edge of the Shillong Plateau at the point where it reaches
the River Brahmaputra and is the gateway to the whole north eastern part of
India.
The Strand Road in Gowhatty from west
1860
View
looking down a tree-lined road in Guwahati taken by Oscar Jean Baptiste
Mallitte in the 1860s. Guwahati, once known as Pragjyotishpura (the Eastern
City of Light), is capital of the state of Assam and is at the centre of the
most important tea growing area of India. The town is situated on the edge of
the Shillong Plateau at the point where it reaches the River Brahmaputra and is
the gateway to the whole north eastern part of India.
American Mission grounds at Gowhatty
1860
General
view of the mission buildings from a road, with two figures standing on the
left photographed by Oscar Jean Baptiste Mallitte in the 1860s. Branches of the
American Baptist Mission and of the Roman Catholic Mission were located in the
town in the late nineteenth century. Guwahati, once known as Pragjyotishpura
(the Eastern City of Light), is capital of the state of Assam and is at the
centre of the most important tea growing area of India. The town is situated on
the edge of the Shillong Plateau at the point where it reaches the River
Brahmaputra and is the gateway to the whole north eastern part of India.
The Bishop's Fall, Shillong
1860
Beadon
Bishop falls are situated near Guwahati in Meghalaya, ‘the land of the rain
clouds’. This is one of the wettest regions on earth; the lush hills contain
many waterfalls which are brought about by the Monsoon-laden winds that come of
the Bay of Bengal. The two falls pictured drop over one hundred metres; they
were photographed by Oscar Jean Baptiste Mallitte in the 1860s.
Monolith stones, Shillong
1860
General view of standing stones
photographed by Oscar Jean Baptiste Mallitte in the 1860s. A group of six men,
including three unidentified Europeans, are posed in the foreground. This area
is scattered with a number of ancient stone monuments erected in honour of
deceased ancestors. Situated in Meghalaya, ‘the land of the rain clouds’,
Shillong has often been referred to as ‘the Scotland of the east’ due to its
scenic rolling hills. Meghalaya is one of the wettest regions on earth; the
lush hills contain many waterfalls which are brought about by the Monsoon-laden
winds that come off the Bay of Bengal.
Native village at the entrance to Shillong
1860
View of a village scattered across
a hillside with a chapel at the top photographed by Oscar Jean Baptiste
Mallitte in the 1860s. Situated in Meghalaya, ‘the land of the rain clouds’,
Shillong has often been referred to as ‘the Scotland of the east’ due to its
scenic rolling hills. Meghalaya is one of the wettest regions on earth; the
lush hills contain many waterfalls which are brought about by the Monsoon-laden
winds that come off the Bay of Bengal. This region was a favourite holiday
retreat of the British in India and was also important as a tea growing area.
My house in the Kasea Hills, 1841-42.
1851
Pencil
and water-colour drawing by Sir Henry Yule (1820-1889) of his bungalow in the
Khasi Hills in Assam, dated between 1841 and 1842. The image is inscribed on
the front in pencil: 'My house in the Kasea Hills, 1841-42.' Sir Henry served with
the Bengal Engineers in India from 1840 to 1862 and was first posted to the
Khasi Hills in Assam. This is a range of hills which form part of the Shillong
Plateau and are home to the Khasi Tribe, the history and customs of which Sir
Henry became increasingly interested. He is perhaps best known for his work on
the 'Hobson-Jobson' (London, 1886), a glossary of Anglo-Indian colloquial words
and phrases.
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