-------- Original Message --------
Subject: RE: Kolkata & Dhaka Historical Maps
Date: Mon, 27 Apr 2009 21:15:20 +0100
From: Francis Herbert <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
To Brian's helpful listing of several specifics, may I contribute a
'link' of sorts? Especially as he writes -
“To my knowledge, the Royal Geographic Society in London has some of
these. Consult the RGS or our own Francis Herbert.”
Around 2003-04, at the Royal Geographical [NB spelling] Society (with
IBG), I searched for turn of 19th-/20th-century town plans of India and
Pakistan in both the Map Room’s and the Library’s collections. Several
items came from insets on maps of the subcontinent or of either country;
or relevant plates in world atlases (especially thematically of the
British Empire); Murray's handbooks and guidebooks by other publishers;
others from British Empire histories/dictionaries, gazetteers,
‘Encyclopedia Britannica’ (the 1911 edition) etc.; several of these were
color-photographed (as 'Ektachromes' or such) for use in a cooperative
venture with The National Archives (formerly PRO) relating to Empire
pre-WW2 emigration to Britain. RGS-IBG certainly does have one of the
best collections (at least, in Europe) of GTS/SofI large-scale town
plans; some of these plans have, since then, been scanned and should be
locatable and viewable on the RGS Images website:-
http://images.rgs.org <http://images.rgs.org/>
Or go to the Society’s website:-
http://www.rgs.org/OurWork/Collections/Commercial+Picture+Library.htm
The gateway site for map history (still maintained by ex-BL Map
Librarian, Tony Campbell) has a bunch of web-pages for images, including
one for Asia, itself then subdivided into regions, e.g. (for India):-
http://www.maphistory.info/imageasia.html#south
If you interrogate other listed pages of the site's menu (e.g. 'What's
on the web' [or similar]) you might well discover other image links of
potential use. There is a page devoted to (world-wide) map collections,
too, for example; and one can then interrogate for ‘specialities’ in
geographical coverage. And don’t ignore the hard copy 4^th ed., expertly
compiled by Olivier Loiseaux of the BnF, Paris, of IFLA’s world
directory of map collections.
Francis Herbert (ex-Curator of Maps, RGS-IBG)
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-----Original Message-----
From: Maps, Air Photo & Geospatial Systems Forum
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Maps-L Moderator
Sent: 27 April 2009 18:53
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Kolkata & Dhaka Historical Maps
-------- 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).
[. . .]
Hope these are of some value.
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
Senior GIS Specialist
University Information Technology
Tufts University
16 Dearborn Road
Somerville, MA 02144
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