Latest Road Map of Bombay

c.1950s–1960s

Offset print on paper

27.5 x 19.75 in (70 x 50 cm)

BOMBAY IN BLUE AND YELLOW: MID-TWENTIETH-CENTURY ROAD MAP WITH INDEX OF LOCALITIES

Colour-printed offset road map of Bombay on paper, folded as issued. Approximate size: 70 × 50 cm unfolded. Printed in bold yellow and blue, with an index of roads and localities at right and a key to civic symbols below.

The map traces Bombay from Colaba and Fort in the south through Marine Drive, Dadar, Worli, Byculla and Sion, extending northwards into the rapidly urbanising suburbs of Bandra and Andheri. Key arterial roads, railways, docks, and civic landmarks are prominently depicted.

Issued by a commercial Bombay printer (signed “RAJ” at lower right), this map was intended for practical use by motorists, businesses, and households. Unlike official Survey of India productions, such ephemeral urban maps were cheaply printed and frequently updated to reflect the city’s rapid growth in the mid-twentieth century.

The striking blue-and-yellow colour scheme lends the map a decorative modernist appeal, while the index and key provide a snapshot of Bombay’s civic geography during a transformative era of industrial expansion and suburban development. Surviving examples are scarce, as most were discarded after use, making this an evocative artefact of Bombay’s post-war urban history.

This lot is offered at NO RESERVE

This lot will be shipped in "as is" condition. For further details, please refer to the images of individual lots as reference for the condition of each lot.