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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.

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Temples of India Temples of India

Travelogue 1938 10 mins

Technicolor temple tour shot by the great Jack Cardiff

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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.

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Gwalior Gwalior

Interest film 1922 0 mins Silent

The Prince of Wales and the Maharajah of Gwalior ride an elephant in a grand procession

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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

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Khalapur Carpets Khalapur Carpets

Promotional 1932 12 mins Silent

Indian carpets make their way to Montreal in this promotional film

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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.

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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

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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?

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Benares Chungking Ichang Benares Chungking Ichang

1916 6 mins

Arresting early film images of both northern India and central and south western China.

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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Our Greatest Ambassador Our Greatest Ambassador

Non-Fiction 1922 33 mins Silent

Richly detailed record of the Prince of Wales' Indian tour, 1921-22.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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In Rural Maharashtra In Rural Maharashtra

Documentary 1945 11 mins

Happy farmers, a wedding and some giant cauliflowers...

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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)

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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.

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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.

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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)

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Calling Blighty (Wolverhampton) Calling Blighty (Wolverhampton)

Documentary 1944 13 mins

“Hello Wolverhampton”. British troops in Bombay send poignant messages to their families back home

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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

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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

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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

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Blind Guides Camp Blind Guides Camp

1945 1 mins Silent

Peppy report on India's first national gathering of visually-impaired girl guides.

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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

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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.

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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.