Hooghly Ink Co Ltd - Leaving Photo 1950

I attach below a photo of the staff of the Hooghly Ink Co Ltd in Madras on the occasion of the retirement of Lt Col R O Taylor.  My father also appears on the photo, it was taken on 20 February 1950.

I also attach a close up of the front row.

Hooghly Ink Co Ltd - New Factory

I came across some old photographs from around 1947 to 1952 and the one I have attached shows the new factory of the Hooghly Ink Company Ltd being built in Madras. Two things catch your eye the first is the great car in the foreground and the second is the bamboo scaffolding being used in the construction of the new building.

Also are two photographs of the inside of the new factory where you can see they are starting to install the new machinery which was to be used to manufacture printing ink.

And from a slightly different angle.

G D Paulraj - Coconut Fibre

I recently purchased this painting from Ebay,  it was advertised the first time and did not sell and so when it was re-listed I weakened and got it for £50 which is a really good price.  I got it shipped without the glass but in the frame.  However, the frame was damaged (which I knew when I bought it) and did not do the painting any justice.

It really is a very good match to a painting I bought from the USA several years ago which is called 'Lunchtime', You can see the other photos at the following link. It says on the reverse that it is called 'Coconut Fibre' and was sold for Rs/- 200.  It has some foxing but it is not too bad.

Hooghly Ink Company

While tidying up my desk I unearthed an old address book given to me by my father when he worked at the Hooghly Ink Company Ltd in Calcutta.  They also had factories in Madras, Bombay and Delhi. This address book dates from the late 1960's and the cover says "Manufacturers of fine printing inks for over 50 years."

Like all firms they had a selection of gifts to give to business contacts and clients, I also had a thread counter, a calendar and pen holder for a desk, an ink blotter, a keyring and of course they produced a calendar every year.  That would be interesting to track down a calendar.  I do remember that my sister featured on the calendar one year as a young child.  I think the business was first set up in India in the 1920's or early based on the statement on the address book it could be earlier but I am not certain?  It originally was a subsidy company of the UK ink manufacturer called Richardson's Printing Inks.

Mahabalipuram - Seven Pagodas

Today I am adding a photograph showing my parents sitting on the statutes leading up to the Beach Temple at the Seven Pagodas site near Madras.  This would have been taken around 1950 as they married in 1949 and then travelled out to India from the UK.

G D Paulraj - Night Meal

This painting is for sale on Ebay at the moment (September 2012) if you are interested it is starting at a low price so you may be able to bag yourself a bargain.  The seller was located in San Diego, California, USA.  It is by G D Paulraj from the time he was living in Madras and is one of his higher quality paintings.

The colours of the saris of the ladies cooking the meal are very bright.  The cows are great as well.

From the label you can see that it sold for Rs. 300/-.  It sold on 8 September 2012 for $375.00 or £233.98 a total of 23 bids.

Early picture from the 1960's

I thought I would publish some early photos taken of myself and my family taken between 1961 and 1967 in Madras and Agra.  The photo below is of myself and my father at the Taj Mahal taken in 1967.

The photo is grabbed from a cine film taken at the time so it is of low quality.  I will have to see if I can upload a short movie clip.  The next photo is taken in Madras in 1962.

My sister and I are sitting on the wall in front of the beach side temples with an avenue of carved cows.  The next photo is of the house in Madras where we used to live before moving to Calcutta, I think it was called Hadley, very grand.  Hope you like the photos, I have now blown my cover and you know what I look like.