The Calcutta Swimming Club

My family were members of the Calcutta Swimming Club while were lived there and my father became President in 1968 - 1969.  The following pictures were taken at the Friday night races and prize giving.  The first photo shows my mother and father, sister and myself at the prize table along with the club secretary a Mrs Ray.

The next photo shows the diving boards at the indoor pool, I can remember the water feeling really cold but it was still around 78 degrees F.

Not all the races were serious and many involved fun, the one above seems to involve wearing an item of clothing?

In the photo above the children seem to be racing while holding a burning candle.

G D Paulraj - Old Man with White Hair

This is an unusual portrait by G D Paulraj of an old man with white hair.  It was shared on the Raj Brothers Facebook site recently by a gentleman in the USA.  We do not see many portraits by Paul Raj.

Ballygunge Calcutta

Scanned a couple of photos of the house where I lived as a child in Calcutta between 1957 to 1975.  Probably in the late 1960s or early 1970s a 20 storey block of apartments was built across the road from our house and it was called Tivoli Court.  One of the photos taken from our upstairs verandah shows the corner of the flats and our front gate.  The little house near the gate is where the guards or 'Derwans' lived.

The second photo is taken from the gate looking back at the house, I lived in the upper right corner and the offices for the Hooghly Ink Company were the entire ground floor.

The two colour photos were probably taken in the 1970s and the next photo in black and white was probably taken in the 1960s.

Houseboat - The Cutty Sark - Kashmir

I was looking through a box of old photographs that my sister gave me the other day and I have found several that are worth scanning and adding to the blog.  The first is of a Houseboat I stayed in around 1972 while the family did a four week tour of India.  It was called the Cutty Sark and was on the the main lake in Kashmir.  

It was a really pleasant stay and to get to the houseboat you had to be transported on a small boat called a Shakari, not sure if that is the correct spelling.  I am told it is a Shikari.

G D Thyagaraj - Holy Man

This is a painting by G D Thyagaraj and it is slightly unusual as it is a portrait of a holy man.  It is quite a dark painting, I am not sure if I like it.  It is currently for sale with an art dealer in California.  I will add a link to the site in the next few days once I can find it again.

G D Arulraj - Cart Procession

Today I am adding a painting by G D Arulraj, I was contacted by Craig in the USA whos says he acquired it earlier this year from an estate sale.  The owner who was an artist themselves purchased it around 20 years ago in the USA.  I think this is a high quality painting by Arul and in some ways looks more like that of his brother Paul.  I think Craig has got himself a nice painting.

The sky looks very moody in the painting, I have also added a close up of the signature below.

Thank you Craig for letting me add the painting to the Blog.

G D Paulraj - Women of India

Just spotted a new listing on Ebay of a painting by G D Paulraj the auction ends on 18 August 2011.  It is a street scene showing several ladies carrying large pots stacked on their heads.  Quite a nice painting.  I contacted the seller 'shakespeareroad' and he said it was okay to add the painting to my blog.

The painting is for sale in La Habra, California, USA under item number 110728815965 with a starting price of $199.95 which is around £122.86.  This is a very realistic price and I think it should sell.  It was obtained from an estate sale in Whittier, California.  Hope you like, it if you do why not buy it.  The signature from the painting follows below.

Thanks 'shakespeareroad' for letting me add this painting to the blog.  It sold for $199.95 in August 2011.

G D Thyagaraj - Dusty Road and Paddy Fields

While I was away on vacation in Florida I was contacted by email by John M who was selling two paintings by G D Thyagaraj on Ebay.  He had found my blog site and emailed me some photos.  He said it was okay to add them to my blog.  I have searched Ebay today Sunday 14 August and have not found his paintings. I am unsure whether his auction has already ended or not?  The first painting is of a group of women working in the paddy fields.

We have seen a very similar painting like this before.  There are some notes on the rear saying it was purchased from the artist in Kathmandu, Nepal in 1969, I assume he was visiting Nepal.

The second painting is of one of his famous dusty road compositions.

This painting also has Thyaga's address Jaipur as well.  In 1969 he would probably be around aged 47 years as we think he was born in 1922.  I think the dust road one is my favourite of the two.  Thanks John I hope you sell your paintings.