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West and Central India
A journey through central and west India from Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh to Gujarat and Maharashtra.
From Dehradun’s bustling bazaar and pilgrims at the holy city of Haridwar, we travel to Varanasi and the world’s earliest surviving film of India from 1899. A royal visit in 1922 takes us to Gwalior, Bhopal and Indore before heading off to Ahmedabad in 1904. We arrive in Mumbai through the Gateway of India before joining a wedding in rural Maharashtra. The collection includes films from Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Temples of India Temples of India
Travelogue 1938 10 mins
Technicolor temple tour shot by the great Jack Cardiff

Sarnath, Benares & Santal Tribes Sarnath, Benares & Santal Tribes
Documentary 1934 27 mins Silent
Film of the Santhal tribe of North East India featuring Sarnath and Benares (Varanasi) in Uttar Pradesh.

Taj Mahal, Local Indian Scenes and a cruise to Port Said: Colonel Alexander Personal Film 5 Taj Mahal, Local Indian Scenes and a cruise to Port Said: Colonel Alexander Personal Film 5
Amateur film 1944 8 mins Silent
Luscious colour photography of the Taj Mahal and a Mediterranean cruise to Port Said

Gwalior Gwalior
Interest film 1922 0 mins Silent
The Prince of Wales and the Maharajah of Gwalior ride an elephant in a grand procession

Street Scenes in India: Colonel Alexander Personal Film 1 Street Scenes in India: Colonel Alexander Personal Film 1
Amateur film 1935 9 mins Silent
From the arrival of a new viceroy to street markets, this amateur film captures the diversity of life in colonial India

Khalapur Carpets Khalapur Carpets
Promotional 1932 12 mins Silent
Indian carpets make their way to Montreal in this promotional film

Rajputana, Jhalawar, Bundi & Katakali Dancers Rajputana, Jhalawar, Bundi & Katakali Dancers
Amateur film 1940 11 mins Silent
A trip to the spectacular city of Bundi and a Kathakali dance performance, filmed in vivid colour by 'envoy of the Raj' Clarmont Skrine.

Grand Lodge Deputation to India Grand Lodge Deputation to India
Amateur film 1927 7 mins Silent
Footage shot during an intrepid hunting trip in India

Boys' Home in Ahmednagar Boys' Home in Ahmednagar
Non-Fiction 1905 1 mins Silent
What’s the hidden message inside this intriguing film, shot at a Salvation Army establishment in western India?

Benares Chungking Ichang Benares Chungking Ichang
1916 6 mins
Arresting early film images of both northern India and central and south western China.

Local Scenes in India and the Taj Mahal: Colonel Alexander Personal Film 2 Local Scenes in India and the Taj Mahal: Colonel Alexander Personal Film 2
Amateur film 1947 15 mins Silent
This collection of amateur shots features some of the most important landmarks of Islamic power in India

Murzapur Murzapur
Amateur film 1932 1 mins Silent
Life and death in the trading town of Mirzapur, where the river Ganges meets the highland ranges of India

Edward Prince of Wales' Tour of India: Bombay, Poona, Baroda, Jodhpur and Bikaner Edward Prince of Wales' Tour of India: Bombay, Poona, Baroda, Jodhpur and Bikaner
Travelogue 1922 21 mins Silent
The future Edward VIII visits his Empire, with Indian royalty, elephants, palaces and temples.

Edward Prince of Wales' Tour of India: Malakand, Kapurthala and Dehra Dun Edward Prince of Wales' Tour of India: Malakand, Kapurthala and Dehra Dun
Travelogue 1922 15 mins Silent
The future Edward VIII visits Malakand, Kapurthala and opens the Royal Military College at Dehra Dun

Edward Prince of Wales' Tour of India: Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior and Delhi Edward Prince of Wales' Tour of India: Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior and Delhi
Travelogue 1922 20 mins Silent
The future Edward VIII enjoys a stately procession and visits the Taj Mahal before meeting senior Indian royalty

Edward Prince of Wales' Tour of India: Bikaner, Lucknow, Benares, Nepal and Great Tiger Shoot Edward Prince of Wales' Tour of India: Bikaner, Lucknow, Benares, Nepal and Great Tiger Shoot
Travelogue 1922 21 mins Silent
The future Edward VIII enjoys receptions, playing polo and hunting tigers on his royal tour

Our Greatest Ambassador Our Greatest Ambassador
Non-Fiction 1922 33 mins Silent
Richly detailed record of the Prince of Wales' Indian tour, 1921-22.

India - Hardwar C.1931: Gorrie Personal Film No. 29 India - Hardwar C.1931: Gorrie Personal Film No. 29
Amateur film 1931 18 mins Silent
Amateur shots of pilgrims and temples at Haridwar, followed by rural scenes and the Gorrie family at home.

Picturesque India or, In and About Calcutta Picturesque India or, In and About Calcutta
Travelogue 1913 5 mins Silent
Botanical gardens in Bombay (now Mumbai) plus the highly decorative Jain Temple in Calcutta (now Kolkata) as they were in 1913.

Historic Mutiny Sites Historic Mutiny Sites
Travelogue 1914 5 mins Silent
Sixty years after the event, this travelogue indicates the continued potency of the Indian Mutiny to the British in India.

The Central Himalaya The Central Himalaya
Amateur film 1944 23 mins Silent
Trek in the Central Himalaya, Uttarakhand. On foot, no pack animals for best part of a month.

Disastrous Bombay Fire Disastrous Bombay Fire
Non-Fiction 1914 1 mins Silent
Fireman attend to the smouldering ruins of a major cloth market fire in Bombay, now Mumbai.

In Rural Maharashtra In Rural Maharashtra
Documentary 1945 11 mins
Happy farmers, a wedding and some giant cauliflowers...

Commissioner Higgins Visits Ahmedabad Girls' School Commissioner Higgins Visits Ahmedabad Girls' School
Non-Fiction 1904 4 mins Silent
Salvation Army officials are given a welcoming salute on a visit to a girls' school in Gujurat, western India

Simla - Maharajah Kumar Simla - Maharajah Kumar
Amateur film 1928 16 mins Silent
From Sir Conrad Corfield's collection, this film shows scenery around Simla, wrestling and a visit by the Maharajah Kumar.

Romantic India Romantic India
Travelogue 1935 17 mins
Cotton, rice and tea, mountain railways, elephants and buffalo: India’s life, landscape and people through Western eyes.

In India Today: Gandhi : Stormy Petrel of Indian Politics Pathé Gazette No. 1705 In India Today: Gandhi : Stormy Petrel of Indian Politics Pathé Gazette No. 1705
Non-Fiction 1930 2 mins Silent
Newsreel capturing the final leg of Mahatma Gandhi’s epic 24-day march through Gujarat to break the colonial salt laws.

Sir John Laing Missionary Films Delhi & The North Sir John Laing Missionary Films Delhi & The North
Amateur film 1947 18 mins Silent
Grand buildings and missionary work come together in the 1947 Indian tour of construction magnate John W. Laing.

Wedding of Maharaj Kumar Shri Meghrajji Shaeb of Kutch and Maharaj Shri of Kishangarh, 1933 Wedding of Maharaj Kumar Shri Meghrajji Shaeb of Kutch and Maharaj Shri of Kishangarh, 1933
Amateur film 1933 42 mins Silent
Fireworks, illuminations and traditional dance all feature in a stunningly opulent royal wedding at Kundla, Gujarat

Mapping all Red Air Route to India Mapping all Red Air Route to India
Non-Fiction 1924 1 mins Silent
Sir Sefton Brancker starts on an ambitious 14,000 mile trip to Bombay (now Mumbai)

Lion-tiger Fight Lion-tiger Fight
1929 10 mins Silent
This travelogue follows hunters in the Gir forest, capturing the titular fight and the gruesome aftermath.

Glimpses of India Glimpses of India
Travelogue 1929 31 mins Silent
Indian travelogue featuring the famous sights and rural life, from Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin) to the Khyber Pass.

Gaumont Graphic No. 383 Gaumont Graphic No. 383
Non-Fiction 1914 6 mins Silent
Indian soldiers in Bombay in October 1914 en route to German East Africa (now Tanzania)

Calling Blighty (Wolverhampton) Calling Blighty (Wolverhampton)
Documentary 1944 13 mins
“Hello Wolverhampton”. British troops in Bombay send poignant messages to their families back home

Visit of Mr. and Mrs. J. Royle and Miss H. Dowell to Kutch State... Visit of Mr. and Mrs. J. Royle and Miss H. Dowell to Kutch State...
Amateur film 1936 34 mins Silent
Amateur footage of a tour of Kutch, Gujarat, as guests of the Maharajah

Montreal and India Newsreel Compilation - C. 1922 Montreal and India Newsreel Compilation - C. 1922
Non-Fiction 1922 5 mins Silent
The Taj Mahal and shots of Jalandhar nestle between footage from Canada and Africa in this intriguing film compilation

Eastern Architecture 1630 A.D. Eastern Architecture 1630 A.D.
Amateur film 1940 8 mins Silent
Wonder at the beauty, splendour and grace of the Taj Mahal, erected in 1630 by the Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan

Blind Guides Camp Blind Guides Camp
1945 1 mins Silent
Peppy report on India's first national gathering of visually-impaired girl guides.

Native Life in Bundi Native Life in Bundi
Amateur film 1935 9 mins Silent
Home movie snapshots of street life in Rajasthan, courtesy of Colonel George Craster

Nine Countries in Ninety Minutes Nine Countries in Ninety Minutes
Travelogue 1937 63 mins Silent
Amateur film travelogue of a journey around various parts of the world in 1937, by Frances Hotham F.R.G.S, A.R.P.S.

Garhwal Himalayas Expedition 1939 Garhwal Himalayas Expedition 1939
Amateur film 1939 52 mins Silent
Film directed by Peter Oliver of his expedition to Garhwal, or the ‘Valley of the Flowers’ with Frank Smythe, in 1937.