Page 88 - Heirloom Collectibles Antiques & Silver

Lot No. 59
A SERIES OF 28 PANAROMIC
VIEWS OF CALCUTTA
by William Wood

Publisher: William Wood, London
Year: 1833
Plates: 24 hand-coloured lithographs
Size: 22 x 15 x 1 in (56 x 38 x 2.5 cm)

Binding: A cream-coloured cloth-bound cover
with a minimalist design. A rectangular inset
on the front cover displays the title. The spine
mirrors this design.
` 18,00,000 - 20,00,000 | $ 22,222 - 24,691
Provenance: Property from a collection
based in New Delhi

Plates from the
presented lot

William Wood arrived in Calcutta in 1828 to assist his brother
George, the Superintendent of the Asiatic Lithographic Press, which
had been established in the 1820s. He returned to London in 1832,
suggesting that he created most of the lithographic stones during
his time in Calcutta, likely at the Asiatic Press, before sending them
to his father in London. His series of prints offers a near-continuous
panorama of buildings as seen from the Maidan. Beginning at
Chandpaul Ghat, the view extends along Esplanade Row and
The dedication page of the presented lot turns into Chowringhee. Several mansions are depicted still under
construction, with bamboo scaffolding in place. In the foreground,
scenes of daily life unfold: people tending animals, washing clothes
or themselves in public tanks, and gathering to smoke hookahs.