1940 Joshi City Plan or Map of Bombay (Mumbai), India

This is a c. 1940 Joshi and Company city plan or map of Bombay (Mumbai), India. Depicting the city from the Arabian Sea to Bombay Harbor and from Mahim Creek to Colaba Point, districts and neighborhoods are labeled throughout. Locations identified, include temples, hospitals, and mills. The city's tram and bus routes are illustrated, with forty numbered tramway stations listed in a table in the lower right. Pictorial views of sites around the city are included along the left, right, and bottom borders and include views of the Taj Mahal Hotel, the museum, the Science Institute, Victoria Gardens, and the racecourse.

Chromolithography

Chromolithography is a color lithographic technique developed in the mid-19th century. The process involved using multiple lithographic stones, one for each color, to yield a rich composite effect. Frequently, the process would start with a black basecoat upon which subsequent colors were layered. Some chromolithographs used 30 or more separate lithographic stones to achieve the desired effect. Chromolithograph color could also be effectively blended for even more dramatic results. The process became extremely popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when it emerged as the dominant method of color printing. The vivid color chromolithography produced made it exceptionally effective for advertising and propaganda imagery.

Publication History and Census

This map was created by Joshi and Company and published c. 1940. It was printed by the Shri Sidh Litho Works in Bombay. We note a single cataloged example in OCLC, at the Library of Congress.