Bombay, the commercial hub of India, the cosmopolitan metropolis which grew rapidly at the turn of the 19th century. After Hyderabad, Dayal had his second largest studio in Bombay. Located in the Fort area. the studio itself was a major tourist attraction with its display of views of India.

In those days Bombay was pristine, open, unpolluted and beautifully washed by waves of the Arabian Sea. Then came all the reclamations – Churchgate, Backbay and the landmark buildings – the Prince of Wales Museum, the Gateway of India and the Marine Drive.

These pictures of Bombay were taken at the turn of the century. We see a Bombay with wide open causeways, without the snarled traffic and crowds and filth of a hundred years later. Many of the buildings shown still exist but in these shots, they stand against broad, smog free skies, surrounded by trees rather than people and possessed of a dignity which they have lost to time and modern architecture.