Simla and Lahore (1933)

Calcutta Topical No. 2

The race is on - for the Viceroy's Cup.

Calcutta Pageant

Scenes from a lavish pageant held during the royal visit to India, celebrating King George V’s coronation.

Duke of Connaught's Indian Tour

The Duke rides an elephant as he ventures on safari in Bengal.

Procession of Elephants at Jaipur; Galta; Raj Mahal

Armoured elephants, sacred monkeys and a camel carriage from Rajasthan.

Land of the Elephants

The timber trade calls on animal help.

From England to India by Air

A state welcome for a Handley Page aircraft arriving in Kolkata.

Her Excellency Lady Lytton At The Victoria Memorial

Lady Pamela Lytton, wife of the Governor of Bengal, visits the grand marble Victoria Memorial in Calcutta.

Delhi Durbar

Aristocracy, army, elephants and more mark the start of the 1903 Durbar.

Indian Scene of Procession

Stately scenes in India, likely filmed during the 1903 Delhi Durbar.

Gangtok and Sikkim Trip

Amateur footage of a trip into the Himalaya.

By the River

Varanasi is the Indian city where Hindus go to die. Stretching along the Ganges, Varanasi holds great spiritual significance because Hindu scriptutres say that anyone who dies there will attain moksha—liberation from the cycle of rebirth. Berlin-based director Dan Braga Ulvestad captures life and death in India’s heartland in this moving documentary filled with exquisite cinematic moments. By the River starts its narrative journey with the city’s “death hotels,” dedicated apartments where people wait to die, sometimes for decades, so they can be cremated on the banks of the Ganges.

Edward Prince of Wales' Tour of India: Bikaner, Lucknow, Benares, Nepal and Great Tiger Shoot

The future Edward VIII enjoys receptions, playing polo and hunting tigers on his royal tour.

Edward Prince of Wales' Tour of India: Peshawar, The Khyber Pass and Rawl Pindi

The future Edward VIII enjoys stunning mountain scenery on a visit to the Khyber Pass during his royal tour

Khyber Pass; Kashmir; Agra

Romantic, atmospheric travelogue capturing some of northern India’s most iconic places – not least the Taj Mahal.

Dancers at Trivandrum Gopinath

Kathakali performance featuring the great Indian dancer Guru Gopinath.

Ukhrul Medical Tour

A doctor and party visit the villages of eastern Manipur in India's far north east.

Montreal and India

The Taj Mahal and shots of Jalandhar nestle between footage from Canada and Africa.

India

Amateur film of the passage to India - complete with guest appearance by Gandhi.

Kagan Valley

Amateur travelogue of the Kagan Valley and Darband, Pakistan.

Imphal Bazaar

A scenes from a tour of Manipur State and a women's bazaar in Imphal.

Pindi Events

Life in the bustling Punjabi city of Rawalpindi before partition.

Local Scenes in India and the Taj Mahal

This travelogue takes in some of the most important landmarks of Islamic power in India.

Mysore

Two sides of Mysore: down to earth with the field workers and an Indian spectacle for the Maharaja.

Mysore Dasara

The Mysore Palace shines with 100,000 lights in a dazzling 400-year-old celebration.

Boat Repairs - Sunderbans

Boats and steamers on the mud flats and lakes of the Assam district, India.

Scenes at his Excellency the Viceroys's Garden Party at Belvedere

Indian high society enjoy themselves at a Calcutta garden party held to welcome the new Viceroy, Lord Irwin.

Delhi to the North West Frontier

Amateur film featuring government buildings in Delhi, a shooting party in Malakand and winter in Abbottabad.

Sports in the Indian Army

A demonstration of sport and fitness by members of the Indian Army.

Wandering Tigers in North India

Tigers in the Himalayan foothills, filmed by famous hunter and conservationist Jim Corbett.

A Suitable Girl

A Suitable Girl follows three young women in India struggling to maintain their identities and follow their dreams amid intense pressure to get married. The film examines the women's complex relationship with marriage, family, and society.

India - Hardwar

Amateur shots of pilgrims and temples at Haridwar, followed by rural scenes and the Gorrie family at home.

An Eastern Market

Documentary detailing a farmer’s visit to the market in Rawalpindi.

Street Scenes in India

From the arrival of a new viceroy to street markets, this amateur film captures the diversity of life in colonial India.

The Quetta Earthquake

Amateur footage of the devastation caused by one of South Asia's worst earthquakes.

Indian Elephants in the Service of Man

Indian elephants in action as working animals and in hunting.

Procession of Elephants with Howdahs - India

An elephantine spectacle, likely part of the celebrations for the visit of the Prince and Princess of Wales to India.

Wonderful Temples of India

A Christian take on 'Edenless' India, where heathens are unafraid of snakes, and build 'interesting' temples to their gods.

Uti

Snapshots of colonial life around Tamil Nadu, plus a visit to the Toda tribe.

Procession at Gangtok

Traditional games, dancing and music among the people of Sikkim - in vivid colour.

Edward Prince of Wales' Tour of India: Calcutta and Delhi

The future Edward VIII opens a durbar and enjoys a day at the races before inspecting the fire brigade in Calcutta.

Lahore - Refugees from India

Millions of Muslims flee to Lahore in the newly created state of Pakistan, prompted by the partition of British India.

Delhi Durbar

A film produced to celebrate the coronation of George V as King-Emperor at the Imperial Durbar of 1911.

Simla Scenes: Indian Viceroy at Lahore

An intimate insight into the servant culture and lifestyle of the Viceroy of India and family, as they visit Simla (Shimla) and Lahore.

Edward Prince of Wales' Tour of India: Malakand, Kapurthala and Dehra Dun

The future Edward VIII visits Malakand, Kapurthala and opens the Royal Military College at Dehra Dun

Our Greatest Ambassador

Richly detailed record of the Prince of Wales' Indian tour.

Edward Prince of Wales' Tour of India: Madras, Bangalore, Mysore and Hyderabad

This official travelogue of a royal tour follows the Prince on a series of regimental displays and a tiger hunt.

Edward Prince of Wales' Tour of India: Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior and Delhi

The future Edward VIII enjoys a stately procession and visits the Taj Mahal before meeting senior Indian royalty.

Edward Prince of Wales' Tour of India: Bombay, Poona, Baroda, Jodhpur and Bikaner

The future Edward VIII visits his Empire, with Indian royalty, elephants, palaces and temples.

Arrowhead

Learn how to climb Great Gable in the Lake District, via the Arrowhead ridge climb.

Rajputana, Jhalawar, Bundi & Katakali Dancers

A trip to the spectacular city of Bundi and a Kathakali dance performance, filmed in vivid colour.

Canoe

Boys’ canoe trip on the Thames in London.

Hilton Hotel Construction

The Hilton Hotel rises from the ashes, surrounded by derelict houses and bomb damaged streets.

Fascinating India

"Fascinating India" spreads an impressive panorama of India’s historical and contemporary world. The film presents the most important cities, royal residences and temple precincts. It follows the trail of different religious denominations, which have influenced India up to the present day. Simon Busch and Alexander Sass travelled for months through the north of the Indian subcontinent to discover what is hidden under India’s exotic and enigmatic surface, and to show what is rarely revealed to foreigners. The film deals with daily life in India. In Varanasi, people burn their dead to ashes. At the Kumbh Mela, the biggest religious gathering of the world, 35 million pilgrims bathe in holy River Ganges. This is the first time India is presented in such an alluring and engaging fashion on screen.

Veteran Car Rally, Brighton

Vintage vehicles on parade in this amateur film record of the longest-running motor event in the world.

Nehru

Divided into three parts — The Awakening, The Struggle, and Freedom — this is a biographical film on Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India. Relying on Nehru's writings and speeches, the film traces the evolution of Nehru from his birth through his life. It also deals with the effect of history on Nehru and in turn his impact on the world.

The Golden Thread

In the heyday of the jute industry, millions of people in Bengal made their living doing this laborious work, which has hardly changed since the industrial revolution. The 100-year-old machinery has been endlessly repaired. State aid kept this sustainable alternative to plastic going, but its future looks bleak.

Kolkata with Sue Perkins

Sue Perkins immerses herself in the complex life of Kolkata and sees how it is reinventing itself as a megacity with a reputation for eccentricity, culture and tolerance.

The Ramayana

The Little Ballet Troupe of Bombay performs a "puppet ballet" of the Hindu epic, the Ramayana.