Views of Calcutta, Part 6

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Image 26  

Date: 1797 

At the end of the 18th century, Calcutta was a flourishing city with beautiful public buildings and large private houses built in the Palladian manner. The grandest buildings were around the Maidan, a great open space created around the second Fort William begun in 1757. This is a view of the Esplanade on the Maidan’s north side, which was the site of the principal public buildings, including Government House and the Supreme Court, and led to Chandpal Ghat, the official landing place from the river in Calcutta. (BH/TD/14) 

Views of Calcutta, Part 5

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Image 21 

Date: 1794

This is a view from near the sluice of Fort William. In the distance of this view, we can see Esplanade Row. Esplanade Row runs east-west to the north of the Maidan, an open space at the centre of Calcutta. By the close of the eighteenth century, Esplanade Row was the location of numerous public buildings. (BH/WB/8)

Views of Calcutta, Part 4

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Image 16

Date: 1788

This is a view of the old Government House in Calcutta. The old Government House was built in 1767. It was situated in Esplanade Row next to the new Council House. Although the old Government House did not become the official residence of the Governor-General until 1773, it was used by the Government before this date. This building was replaced by the new Government House at the turn of the nineteenth century. It was commissioned by Marquis Wellesley on his appointment as Governor-General of Calcutta and located on the same site. (BH/TD/11) 

Views of Calcutta, Part 3

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Image 11

Date: 1787

This is a view of the new buildings on Chowringee in Calcutta. Chowringee Road (now Jawaharlal Nehru Road) runs along the east side of the Maidan, a large open area of land in the centre of Calcutta. In the late eighteenth century, Chowringee became the main European residential area of Calcutta and was characterised by Palladian houses that were set in spacious grounds. (BH/TD/7) 

Views of Calcutta, Part 2

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Image 6

Date: 1786

This view looks along Clive Street. The eastern wall of old Fort William can be seen on the left. Holwell's Monument is on the right. It was erected to the memory of the survivors of the 'Black Hole' in 1756 but removed from this site later. The Theatre was built by public subscription in 1775. (BH/TD/1)

Note: A part of the Writers Building is visible on the right side behind the Holwell's Monument.

Views of Calcutta, Part 1

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Image 1

Date: 1690

The city of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) was formed with the merger of 3 villages - Sutanuti, Kalikata and Gobindapur. Job Charnock, the Englishman, landed at Sutanuti in 1690 with the objective of establishing the East India Company’s Bengal headquarters. As Kalikata did not have any settled native population, the British occupied the site and started the construction of old Fort William in 1696 and acquired the zemindari (land-holding) rights from the Sabarna Roy Choudhury family, the zemindars (landlords) of the area in 1698. (WA/1)