-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: Kolkata & Dhaka Historical Maps
Date: Mon, 27 Apr 2009 10:48:52 -0700
From: Brian Bach <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
References: <[log in to unmask]>
Patrick,
Some quick suggestions:
The Survey of India has always done superb mapping of the territory you seek. One inch and half inch coverage was the bellwether of the Raj Era. I can attest to UBC's collection in Vancouver, Canada.
The Survey has also issued several of their historic maps in reprint editions.
The Survey's Calcutta Guide Maps of the 1920s-40s are outstanding. The four-sheet 1943 edition is at 1:10,560 scale. Dacca coverage was less ambitious, as befitting its status as a provincial center. The Dacca District Gazetteer (by L.S.S O'Malley, if I recall) of the early 1900s is invaluable.
The Survey issued stunning 1:600 coverage of Calcutta in 1890s/1910s editions. As a precursor to Google Earth, individual trees and entrance steps on buildings are duly represented! To my knowledge, the Royal Geographic Society in London has some of these. Consult the RGS or our own Francis Herbert.
'Newman's Comprehensive Calcutta City Guide and Directory' by V.R.S. Raman, 1959, shows each city ward.
A.C. Roy's 'Calcutta Atlas and Guide' appeared in several 1960s editions.
P.T. Nair's 'A History of Calcutta's Streets' is a gold mine of information, and some historical maps are reproduced.
The 'Atlas of the City of Calcutta and its Environs' by Anil Kumar Kundu and Prithvish Nag, 1996, is a helpful compendium of historical maps, from Wood's 1785 map onward. Upjohn's and Schalch & Prinsep's thorough maps are included.
'Thacker's Calcutta Directory' (1929) offered excellent maps at 1:4800 scale.
In 'The Calcutta Gazette' of the 1920s, there exists a 'Cholera Black List' map for Calcutta, showing affected wards.
The 'Imperial Gazetteer of India' (c.1870s-1930s) included admirable Bartholomew city and provincial maps in their multi-volume run, and also in an Atlas volume. The 'Hand Atlas of India' (c.1890s) was a comparable Bartholomew compilation. The great Edinburgh firm took great pains in accuracy and detail in their series of Indian city maps.
Murray's 'Handbooks' for India (1850s-1980s) incorporated various editions of Bartholomew and others' coverage.
For contemporary comparisons, the 'Atlas of Kolkatta', Prithvish Nag et al, NATMO, 2006 offers thorough coverage in 284 maps (though unfortunately, Howrah is not included).
(Personal curmudgeonly comment - delete if offensive!: when US/UK-oriented Romanization for, say, Prague is ever fully established as 'Praha' or 'Roma' for Rome - to name only two examples, I shall then spell Calcutta as 'Kolkata'. However it is Romanized, the pronunciation of the Bengali metropolis is the same; the spelling change was a political gesture. In the case of Dhaka, as opposed to 'Dacca', the spelling change was correctly grammatical, as the 'dh' is aspirated. :) ... Like 'Myanmar' for Burma, Western media has deemed it politically correct to comply with these supposedly 'non-imperialist era' new spellings, as if the populace actually approved of them. Several surveys taken in Calcutta indicated that the majority of those polled thought the spelling change was unnecessary, if not spurious. I am reminded of a more extreme example of change of public policy. Years ago the military government of Burma decided to switch the nation from driving on the left to drivin!
g on the right - overnight. Some joked that the government did not want to be perceived as moving too far to the left, so tangible action had to be taken.)
Apologies for getting bloggish on a listserv.
Hope these are of some value.
Brian
Brian P. Bach
Documents/Maps
Brooks Library
Central Washington University
400 E. University Way
Ellensburg, WA 98926-7548
USA
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http://www.amazon.com/Calcuttas-Edifice-Buildings-Great-City/dp/8129104156
>>> Maps-L Moderator <[log in to unmask]> 4/23/2009 6:36 AM >>>
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Kolkata & Dhaka Historical Maps
Date: Thu, 23 Apr 2009 09:26:02 -0400
From: Patrick Florance <[log in to unmask]>
Organization: Tufts University
To: [log in to unmask]
Hello,
Does anyone have any recommendations on institutions/repositories (both
U.S. and international) that might have strong holdings for historical
maps of Kolkata (Calcutta), India and Dhaka (Dacca), Bangladesh? We are
also interested in historical regional (state level) of West and East
Bengal.
Geographic Areas
1. Kolkata (Calcutta), India
2. Dhaka (Dacca), Bangladesh
3. Regional: West Bengal (India) & East Bengal (Bangladesh)
Historical Time Periods
1. 1857-1905
2. 1905-1947
3. 1947-1971
I appreciate any suggestions folks might have. Thanks.
Patrick Florance
--
Patrick Florance
Senior GIS Specialist
University Information Technology
Tufts University
16 Dearborn Road
Somerville, MA 02144
Phone: 617.627.4235
Fax: 617.627.3667
Email: [log in to unmask]
http://gis.tufts.edu
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