Dakassari Temple, 1904’s Dhaka

Dakassari Temple, 1904’s Dhaka

Photograph taken by Fritz Kapp in 1904 of a temple in Dacca (now Dhaka), part of an album of 30 prints from the Curzon Collection. Lord Curzon was Viceroy of India from 1899-1905. In February 1904, he toured Eastern Bengal and visited Dhaka on the 18th and 19th where he stayed at the Ahsan Manzil Palace. This album of gelatine-silver prints commemorates his Dhaka visit, though it is not a record of it and only presents us with general views. Kapp worked as a commercial photographer from the 1880s onwards and had studios in Chowringhee Road and Humayun Place in Calcutta. From the early 1900s he had a studio in Wise Ghat Road in Dhaka. Dhaka is now the capital of Bangladesh, in the 17th century it became prominent as a provincial capital of the Mughal empire, and was a major centre of trade, particularly in fine muslins. Its history, though largely obscured, is ancient, and it was brought under Islamic rule by the 13th century, first by the Delhi Sultanate then by the independent sultans of Bengal, after which it was taken by the Mughals in 1608. In the 18th century Dhaka was eclipsed by Murshidabad under the Nawabs of Bengal and its population diminished. As the fortunes of the Nawabs declined, the power of the East India Company became a new factor. Queen Victoria’s Proclamation in 1858 brought all the territories held by the Company (including Dhaka) under British rule. This is a view of the Dhakeshwari Temple complex on the banks of the Buriganga river in the old town district of Dhaka. The main Hindu temple in the city, it is dedicated to the presiding goddess of Dhaka. It has not been dated but the buildings were possibly built in the Mughal period.

Northbrook Hall, 1904’s Dhaka

Northbrook Hall, 1904’s Dhaka

Photograph taken by Fritz Kapp in 1904 of buildings in Dacca (now Dhaka), part of an album of 30 prints from the Curzon Collection. The view is of Northbrook Hall designed in the so-called Indo-Saracenic style, with Johnson Hall, in a similar style, visible in the background. The buildings may have been attached to Dhaka University at this date, but later Northbrook Hall functioned as the Town Hall. Lord Curzon was Viceroy of India from 1899-1905. In February 1904, he toured Eastern Bengal and visited Dhaka on the 18th and 19th where he stayed at the Ahsan Manzil Palace. This album of gelatine-silver prints commemorates his Dhaka visit, though it is not a record of it and only presents us with general views. Kapp worked as a commercial photographer from the 1880s onwards and had studios in Chowringhee Road and Humayun Place in Calcutta. From the early 1900s he had a studio in Wise Ghat Road in Dhaka. Dhaka, now the capital of Bangladesh, became prominent in the 17th century as a provincial capital of the Mughal empire, and was a major centre of trade, particularly in fine muslins. Its history, though largely obscured, is ancient, and it was brought under Islamic rule by the 13th century, first by the Delhi Sultanate then by the independent sultans of Bengal, after which it was taken by the Mughals in 1608. In the 18th century Dhaka was eclipsed by Murshidabad under the Nawabs of Bengal and its population diminished. As the fortunes of the Nawabs declined, the power of the East India Company became a new factor. Queen Victoria’s Proclamation in 1858 brought all the territories held by the Company (including Dhaka) under British rule.

Sutrapur or hanging bridge, built c1834, since demolished, 1870’s Dhaka

Sutrapur or hanging bridge, built c1834, since demolished, 1870’s Dhaka

Photograph of the Hanging Bridge at Dhaka taken in the 1870s by an unknown photographer. Formerly Dhaka was a Mughal capital and later the headquarters of the Division and District of the same name. Dhaka was famous for centuries for its production by skilled local craftsmen of fine cotton muslins which were tested by passing the finished piece of cloth through a lady's ring.The city is situated on the north bank of the Buriganga River and is crossed by a branch of the Dolai Creek. It is now the capital of Bangladesh.

View of the south gate to Lalbagh Fort, 1870's Dhaka

View of the south gate to Lalbagh Fort, 1870's Dhaka

View of the south gate to Lalbagh Fort, Dhaka

Photograph of the South Gate to the Lal Bagh Fort in Dhaka, now the capital of Bangladesh taken in the 1870s by an unknown photographer. Prince Muhammad Azam, the son of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, began building the Fort in about 1677 but it was never completed. One of the principal attractions in the Old City of Dhaka, it has three storeys and the complex contained many buildings including the tomb of Pari Bibi or 'Fairy Lady', the wife of a Mughal governor of Bengal, and a huge mosque. The area has a hot, damp tropical climate and is flooded periodically by waters from the Bay of Bengal as well as from the yearly moonsoon. By the 19th century many of the once-elegant Mughal buildings in the city were left in ruins by the action of both the climate and the resultant wildly luxuriant overgrowth of trees and vegetation which lent them a picturesque look and made them popular subjects for artists and photographers.

Purana Paltan Maidan, small mosque, 1870's Dhaka

Purana Paltan Maidan, small mosque, 1870's Dhaka

Purana Paltan Maidan, small mosque, Dhaka

Photograph of a small mosque on the Purana Paltan Maidan at Dhaka in Bangladesh. It was taken in the 1870s by an unknown photographer. In this view, the small mosque is almost hidden by a tree. Dhaka was formerly a Mughal capital and then the headquarters of the district and division of the same name. It is situated on the north bank of the River Buriganga and was famous for its fine cotton muslin production.

View of a path through a wood (May be it is Ramna Park), 1870's Dhaka

View of a path through a wood, 1870's Dhaka

View of a path through a wood (May be it is Ramna Park) , Dhaka District

Photograph of a path through a wood at an unidentified location in the Dhaka district in Bangladesh taken in the 1870s by an unknown photographer. Formerly Dhaka was a Mughal capital and later the headquarters of the Division and District of the same name. Dhaka was famous for centuries for its production by skilled local craftsmen of fine cotton muslins which were tested by passing the finished piece of cloth through a lady's ring. The city is situated on the banks of the Buriganga River and is crossed by a branch of the Dolai Creek. It is now the capital city of Bangladesh.

River scene, 1870's Dhaka

River scene, 1870's Dhaka

River scene, Dhaka region

Photograph taken of a river scene in Dhaka district in the 1870s by an unknown photographer. This view illustrates a scene on the Buriganga River at an unidentified location in the Dhaka region in Bangladesh. Formerly Dhaka was a Mughal capital and later the headquarters of the Division and District of the same name. Dhaka was famous for centuries for its production by skilled local craftsmen of fine cotton muslins which were tested by passing the finished piece of cloth through a lady's ring. The city is situated on the banks of the Buriganga River and is crossed by a branch of the Dolai Creek. It is now the capital city of Bangladesh.