-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: Kolkata & Dhaka Historical Maps
Date: Mon, 27 Apr 2009 11:25:23 -0700
From: Tim Ross <[log in to unmask]>
Organization: The University of British Columbia Library
To: [log in to unmask]
References: <[log in to unmask]>
Patrick,
Sorry, I missed your original posting, and I'm glad that Brian caught
it. I'm happy to help, so for now I'll check our Survey of India
holdings and contact you soon off-list.
Brian, I for one appreciated your carmudgeonly comment!
Tim
Maps-L Moderator wrote:
> -------- 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
> [log in to unmask]
> 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
>
--
Tim Ross, Map & Reference Librarian
Koerner Library, Univ. of British Columbia
1958 Main Mall, Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z2
Tel: (604) 822-6191 Fax: (604) 822-3335
Email: [log in to unmask]
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