Calcutta Ephemera : Visual Imagery of a Colonial City (1775-1925)

Contents: Preface. Introduction. 1. Early advertisements (1780-1850). 2. Law. 3. Pattas. 4. Municipal and civic Calcutta. 5. Printers and printing presses. 6. Trade and commerce. 7. Victorian emporia. 8. Taverns, Punch houses and hotels. 9. Book sellers. 10. Firearms sellers and gunmakers. 11. Confectioners and provisioners. 12. Music instrument sellers. 13. The Peninsular and oriental stream navigation. 14. Chemists and druggists. 15. Bonds and shares. 16. Notes and references. Bibliography. List of exhibits. Picture credits. Index. 

Ephemera-short-lived objects, hence considered useless trivia-morph into priceless sources of historical studies when these are arranged against their proper historical perspective. The present study Calcutta Ephemera explores the visual chronicle of a colonial town, that is Calcutta, covering the period from 1775 to 1925, precisely by means of these trivia, comprising billboards, posters, trade cards, legal documents, municipal assessment reports and house rent bills, advertisements and a host of other things that informed daily life in Calcutta. The author has taken great pains over the years in collecting and collating these materials from various sources. Here is an attempt to construct an alternative discourse as opposed to the mainstream discourse. (jacket)