Pankajam Paulraj (Mrs) - Greeting Card 1

This is a small postcard size painting by Paulraj's wife Pankajam it shows two women with water pots.

This painting belongs to one of his daughters.

G D Arulraj - Temple Scene

This is a painting by G D Arulraj depicting a temple in the background with a pond or tank in the foreground.

There are two cows in the foreground under the shade of the tree almost in silhouette.  This might belong to his family in the USA.

G D Thyagaraj - Watercarriers in front of a temple

Today I am adding a painting by Thyagaraj, it shows a shows ladies collecting water from a river bank or a water tank next to a temple?  It think it has lost some colour in the photo, might be better in the real thing.

G D Paulraj - Covered Cart

This is a painting by G D Paulraj of a covered Cart one of his favourite themes.  It is a shame that it is only a small low resolution photo as it looks like a very nice painting.

G D Paulraj- Refreshments under the Banyan Trees

Today I am adding another painting currently for sale in the UK on Ebay.  The seller "infanteyes" has agreed for me to add details of the painting to the blog.  THe painting shows a refreshment stall on a road in the shade of a row of Banyan trees.  The painting is listed on Ebay under item number 270854748376 with a starting price of £400.00 with postage of £30.00.

I understand the painting is being sold framed and it has an interesting label on the reverse.  This has Paul Raj's address as being Diamond Cottage, in Kodaikanal.  It shows the price is rupees as being R/s. 95, this could make it quite and early painting with the price being so low, I guess it could be late 1950,s.  I quite like this painting and it reminds me of several that I own myself. (I have no room on my walls for any more, what a shame.)  You can see a lady taking a drink from coconut.  The auction ends on 26 November so if you want to bid you will need to be quick.

Thanks to "infanteyes " for letting me add this to the blog.

G D Arulraj - Village Street

The third painting being sold on Ebay by "lor1etta" in November 2011.  It is one of Arul's village street scenes.  Being sold under item number 200677332795 starting price is $185 which is £117.17 with postage of $30.  Sale ends on 25 November 2011 and the seller is in Salem, Ohio, USA.

Once again to the seller for allowing me to add the painting to my blog.  You will need to bid quick if you like these paintings.

G D Arulraj - Temple Scene

Another painting by Arulraj being sold on Ebay by the seller "lor1etta" under item number 200677332711 ending on 25 November 2011.  Starting price is $185 which is around £117.17 postage $30.00.  The seller is located in Salem, Ohio, USA.

This is probably my favourite of the three paintings being sold by this seller on Abay at the moment, again I think it is unframed.  Many thanks to the seller for allowing me to add this to my blog.

G D Arulraj - Dusk

There is a painting by Arul Raj on Ebay at the moment from a seller called "lor1etta" it is one of his setting sun paintings with everyone shown in silhouette.  The auction ends on 23 November 2011 so if you want to bid on the is painting you will need to be quick.  It can be found under item number 200676509561.  The seller is located in Salem, Ohio, USA.

It looks like it is unframed but will be very nice once it has been reframed.  The starting price is $140.00 which is around £88.67 which is very reasonable.  Postage is around $30.00.  Many thanks to the seller for allowing me to add the painting to this blog.  The seller has another two which I will add next.

G D Paulraj - Beach Scene

I came across this painting for sale on Ebay back in September along with a second unsigned painting might could be by Paul Raj.  It is a beach scene, I have not come across one of these before but I have heard that he did some.  His first initial is behind the border, at least I think it is.  The pair of painting are smaller than normal measuring only 12 x 8.75 inches.

I think is is by Paul Raj as to the size it could be he has used some old paper.  As the second painting which I will add another day does have an outline of a temple on the back (unfinished) so may be did not want to waste the paper.  There are no dates or titles.  Hope you like it.  I think it cost me around £50.00 including postage.

Pankajam Paulraj

This painting was added to the Facebook site earlier this summer it is by Paulraj's wife Pankajam, it is owned by a lady in the USA.

G D Paulraj - Ploughing

Painting by G D Paulraj showing a man ploughing his fields.  Looks like a wet and windy day.

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.

First Day Cover - Conquest of Everest 29-5-53

Another First Day Cover and quite a special one commemorating the Conquest of Everest on 29 May 1953.  This was addressed to my father's colleague at the Hooghly Ink Company in Calcutta.  Mr Birkett was Managing Director the Company for a few years.

Again it is likely that the ink used to print the stamps came from the Hooghly Ink Company.

First Day Cover - Nehru 12 June 1964

I thought I would do something different today but still relevant to the Blog Title.  My father worked for the Hooghly Ink Company manufacturing printing ink.  Some ink was sold to be used in Indian bank notes and also in the printing of postage stamps.  As a result he got given stamps over the years and collected stamps.  Today I am adding a First Day Cover from 1964 commemorating Jawaharlal Nehru.

I will add a variety of other covers in the coming weeks as well as the usual variety of posts as well.  Any stamp collectors out there?  Hope you like it.

G D Arulraj - Fetching Water from the River

Painting by Arulraj today which was for sale on Ebay several years ago, not sure if it sold or not at hat time. Shows two ladies collecting water from the banks of the river?

ALso shows one of the usual big trees.

L M Ghose - Boat at Sunset

Another photo of a painting by L M Ghose, a sunset scene with pinks and violets. 

His signature is clearly visible in the bottom right hand corner.

G D Thyagaraj - Carts with bare trees

Came across this painting by G D Thyagaraj a little while ago for sale in an auction.  Unfortunately I did not keep a record of where it was being sold or what price it went for.

Might be an early one as he is still struggling with the length of the cows necks! Still interesting all the same.

Henry Brown - Photograph taken in Bombay

Slight variation today, I have been doing a lot of family tree research over the last few years and my wife and I own two old photo albums one from each family.  While looking at the photos in her album we came across a couple that were taken in Bombay in the 1890's.  The photo is of her Great Grandmothers brother Henry Brown who was born in 1867 in Sunderland, in Northern England.  It seems he might have become a missionary and spent a few years in India.

It was taken at a photographers in Kalbadevi Road, Bombay.  Fortunately the photos is dated on the back as being taken on 20th May 1892 when he was aged 24 years.

The photographers appear to have been a firm called Gomes and De Lair.  I wonder if anyone knows if Kalbadevi Road still exists?  I thought it would be interesting to share this photo so show the family connection to India on my wife's side of the family as well.  Henry eventually moved to Canada and we know he was living in Prince Edward Island by 1911.   The family loast touch with Henry Brown after he moved to Canada.

P B Surendranath - Village Street

This is the photo of the second painting by Surendranath titled "Village Street" might have been originally priced at Rs 30/-.  Nice painting similar to the one I own.

This was on Ebay and month ago along with the previous painting.
UPDATE Still for Sale: The owner of this painting and the second has contacted me at the start of September 2011.  She lives in the USA and is still looking to sell both paintings.  If you are interested in buying one or both of them just email me and I will pass on your details to her. 

P B Surendranath - People By The River

This painting was for sale recently on Ebay, I am not sure whether it sold or not.  The seller was asking around $1000 maybe for two paintings.  I think this painting might have a price pencilled on the rear showing Rs 30/-, if correct this was quite cheap for the time.

He ended up being Principal, at the Government College of Arts and Crafts, Kumbakonam.  I think he died in 2010 and the following picture of the artist might have been taken in 2007.  I believe this is the same college that Paul Raj studied at but some years before Surendranath.

UPDATE Still for Sale: The owner of this painting and the second has contacted me at the start of September 2011.  She lives in the USA and is still looking to sell both paintings.  If you are interested in buying one or both of them just email me and I will pass on your details to her.

L M Ghose - Boat at Sunset

This is an photo of an L M Ghose painting that I have received by email.  I have covered some of his painting in this past but I still know very little about him. 

Some of his paintings that I own are dated between 1910 and 1918, this one does not have a visible date.

Tablecloth - Snake Charmer

This is the last photo from the tablecloth series and it depicts the only male on the cloth who is a snake charmer.

G D Thyagaraj - Temple and Flame in the Forest Tree

This painting is by G D Thyagaraj and was found by Kashinath on his travels around India.

Interestingly this painting has very little green in it, a lot of brown, orange and red with some blue sky.  I find it a bright and cheerful painting.  Thanks Kashinath for sharing.

G D Arulraj - Stages in creating Gold Moher

Four photos follow showing the development of the Gold Moher painting.

1) Pencil Sketch.

2) Second photo

3) Third photo

4) Fourth photo

G D Arulraj - Gold Moher

Today I am adding one of Arul's paintings that was in the Walter Foster "From India' book.

Tablecloth - Woman Carrying a Bundle

Another photo from the tablecloth series, this shows a woman carrying a bundle of plants tied in a cloth on her head.

G D Paulraj - From The Fields

I have been alerted by an Ebay seller with the use name of "Objectquality' to the sale of a painting by G D Paulraj called "To the Fields".  It is a buy it now priced at $495 which is around £310 at the current exchange rate of $1.60 to the £1.00.  I have been given permission to add some photos to the blog in case are viewers are interested in buying the painting.

It is for sale in Los Angeles in the USA under Ebay item number 3305 7582 2201 you can also make an offer if you are interested.  There is a label on the reverse showing it was owned by a college in 31 May 1995, Westmont College.

It is slightly different to his normal works as it does not have any hay carts but instead the workers are carrying loads on their heads.