St Paul's Cathedral - Calcutta (Kolkata) 1865

This photograph of St Paul's Cathedral in Calcutta was taken by Oscar Mallitte in 1865 to form part of an album entitled 'Photographs of India and Overland Route'. It shows a view of the cathedral looking across the Birjee Tank (water supply) on the south-east corner of the Maidan. The cathedral was designed in the Indo-Gothic style by William F Forbes. Forbes, a military engineer who was later promoted to Major General, was also responsible for the design of the old Calcutta Mint where he held the post of Mint Master for a time. Construction of the cathedral began in 1839, when the foundation stone was laid by Daniel Wilson, Bishop of Calcutta, and completed in 1847. The tall central spire and square tower beneath were inspired by a similar feature at the twelfth century cathedral in Canterbury, England. The upper portion of the tower, which originally reached a height of sixty-one metres, was destroyed in an earthquake in 1934.

From: British Library

St James's Church - Delhi c1860's

Photographer: Samuel Bourne
Know more in Wikipedia
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London

St. James's Church - Delhi 1860

Source: British Library
Photographer: Eugene Clutterbuck Impey
Know more in Wikipedia

Colonel James Skinner raised the famous cavalry corps in India known as Skinner's Horse. Skinner (1778-1842) was of mixed parentage, born of a Scottish father and Rajput mother. At the age of 16 he was taken under the wing of the French commander of Maharaja Scindia's forces. He went on to acquit himself well in many battles and become one of India's leading mercenaries. St. James's Church in Delhi was founded by Skinner who while lying wounded on the battle field vowed that if he survived he would build a church in thanksgiving. It is the oldest church in Delhi and is built in the shape of a Greek cross, with a dome reminiscent of the Renaissance style. It was designed by Major Robert Smith; building commenced in 1826 and finished ten years later. Skinner himself is buried within the church.

St. James's Church - Delhi 1858

Photographer: Robert and Harriet Tytler
Source: British Library
Know more in Wikipedia

St.James's Church in Delhi showing damage caused by the Mutiny fighting

Photograph of St. James's Church in Delhi from 'Murray Collection: Views in Delhi, Cawnpore, Allahabad and Benares' taken by Dr. John Murray in 1858 after the Uprising of 1857. St James Church was commissioned by Colonel Skinner (1778-1841), a distinguished military officer, famous for the cavalry regiment Skinner’s Horse, known as the Yellow Boys because of the colour of their uniform. While lying wounded on the field of battle he made a vow that if he survived he would build a church in thanks for his life being saved. The church was started in 1826 and completed ten years later. During the Uprising of 1857 the Chruch was damaged by shellfire. The dome of the chruch is topped by a copper ball and cross, which was used by sepoys in 1857 for target practice.

Source: British Library

Cawnpore (Kanpur) Memorial Church and Well - India 1880's

Source: ebay

Anglican Church, Belgaum, Karnataka, India, 1874

Source: Ebay Seller rtrphoto

Old Cross from Top of St.James's Church in Delhi. January 1891 Riddled by Mutineers shot in 1856-57

Old cross from top of St James Church, Delhi. January 1891 Riddled by mutineers shot in 1856-7

Church on a Mountain - India, c1870's

Source: Ebay Seller nageit1

St Thomas's Church, Dhaka (Currently in Bangladesh) - 1904

Photograph taken by Fritz Kapp in 1904 of St Thomas' Church in Dacca (now Dhaka), part of an album of 30 prints from the Curzon Collection. Built in 1819, the church is called the Church of Bangladesh.

Source: bl.uk ( British Library)

St. Paul's Cathedral - Calcutta (Kolkata) - Mid 19th Century

Photographer: Francis Frith
Date: Between 1850s to 1870s
Whole-plate albumen print from wet collodion glass negative

St. Paul's Cathedral (Second View) - Calcutta (Kolkata) - Mid 19th Century

Photographer: Francis Frith
Date: Between 1850s to 1870s
Whole-plate albumen print from wet collodion glass negative

Bandel Church - Bengal 1890's

The Bandel Church is one of the oldest Christian churches in West Bengal, India. It is situated around 40 KMs from Calcutta (Kolkata). It stands as a memorial of the Portuguese settlement in Bengal. This Church was Built around 1660. (Know more in Wikipedia)

Image Source: ebay

St Paul's Church, Ambala, Haryana - c1868

This beautiful church was badly damaged in the 1971 India-Pakistan war. Know more about this church and view some recent images in the mangalorean.com

Photographer: Bourne and Shepherd

Source: 19cphoto.com

Contributor: Anthony Davis (antiqphoto@earthlink.net)

Khidderpore Church Calcutta ( Kolkata ) - Mid 19th Century

Photographer: Francis Frith

Date: Between 1850s to 1870s

Whole-plate albumen print from wet collodion glass negative

St. Peters Church Fort William Calcutta (Kolkata) - Mid 19th Century

Photographer: Francis Frith

Date: Between 1850s to 1870s

Whole-plate albumen print from wet collodion glass negative

Old Mission Church Calcutta (Kolkata) - Mid 19th Century

Photographer: Francis Frith
Date: Between 1850s to 1870s
Whole-plate albumen print from wet collodion glass negative

Byculla Church - Bombay (Mumbai) - 19th Century Photograph

Date: Between 1850s to 1870s
Whole Plate Albumen Print from Wet Collodion Glass Negative
Maker: Francis Frith
Source: http://collections.vam.ac.uk

Photographs from the Book "The Desire of India" by Surendra Kumar Datta - 1909

Read the full book online or download the PDF
Click on every photograph to view the larger version.

A Plague Camp

 A children's Feast

(Top) A Christian Family
(Bottom) Santal Biblewomen

A christian family and their offering

(Left) A Group of orphans
(Right) Orphan girl gathering wood

(Top) A mission hospital
(Bottom) Patients and their friends

(Top) A village school
(Bottom) Biblewomen at work

(Top) Ploughing
(Bottom) Winnowing

 Bathing at Sivaratri festival

(Left) The well of salvation, Benares
(Right) The burning ghat at Benares

Benares Ghat

(Top) Tope marking spot where Buddha first preached
(Bottom) Buddhist rock-cut temples

(Top) Church in Santalia
(Bottom) Church in Gond country

(Top) Preaching by the wayside
(Bottom) Group of Catechists

(Top) A north Indian village
(Bottom) A shanan village in Tinnevelly

(Top) Village Street
(Bottom) Village well

Industrial training school

Rice Culture

The Maharajah of Travancore

The rock at Trichinopoly

(Left) A convert and her son
(Right) A Christian Baptism

(Top) The Himalayas
(Bottom) View from the walls of Delhi

(Top) A roadside scene
(Bottom) A stretch of southern coast

(Top) The great Indian desert
(Bottom) A roadside scene in the south

(Top) Winnowing the corn
(Bottom) Grinding the corn

(Left) Famine Animal
(Right) Famine Children

(Left) Brahman
(Right) Jat (North India)

(Top) An ascetic
(Bottom) A hillside Idol

(Top) Worship of the snake god
(Bottom) Asetic before image of Ganesa

(Top) Railway Station
(Bottom) Mouth of the Ganges

(Top) On the way to church
(Bottom) A Christian home

 The tomb of Akbar the Great

(Left) Toda Men
(Right) Toda Women

Village Preaching