The photographer, Mr. Claude Waddell, also provided the interesting glosses accompanying each photograph. Several attested copies of
this work has emerged including one with a 'title page' held by the Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana.
Mr. Waddell was a military photographer. Many of his captions sound like annotations that would be found in a typical military magazine.The album begins with several general long shots of Calcutta and ends with a picture of A mysterydhobi- s (washermen) washing clothes. The text accompanying the last photograph also sounds as if the author intended to finish with that picture of one of the "great mysteries of India.".
The annotations have been included because of their intrinsic interest not only to the photographs but to a 'typical' American impression of India at this time.
Nimtolla Mosque, Calcutta
The Nimtolla Mosque, largest Mohammedan mosque in Calcutta. Its prayer hall will accommodate 10,000 worshipers. A modern specimen of Indo-Sarascenic architecture, its Minarets (towers) are 151 feet high. GI truck at entrance is waiting for a load of soldiers on American Red Cross tour.
Hindustan Building, Calcutta
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Hindustan building, one of the most modern in Calcutta, was built for an insurance company but occupied upon its completion by the U.S. Army. Located in the heart of the city, it is the nerve center of all military business, containing post office, finance office, Base Section offices, air, rail booking offices, a radio station, giant post exchange, officers mess and living quarters, signal offices and others.
Calcutta Downtown
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Aerial view of Calcutta downtown. In upper left background is Hindustan building, U.S. Army HQ. The oldest part of the city starts at the esplanade and extends upwards. The city was founded in the early 1700's.
Hoogly River, Calcutta
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Hooghly river and part of Calcutta's east bank but for this giant stream Calcutta would likely never have been built. Nevertheless the river affords many spectacles and has accomodated millions of tons of supplies necessary to the war effort.
A Native Madman roaming naked on the Street
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Native madman is allowed to roam the streets naked, accosting cars, sitting down in middle of the street or anything else that takes his fancy. How he escapes being run down or run in by the law is one of India's mysteries.
A street gathering
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Crowd gathers round a sidewalk performer at bus stop while GI's take temporary advantage of an overhead view from steps of a camp bus. This is a good spot for hawkers, beggars, shoe shine boys, showmen to work on the bankroll of the 'rich American soldier'
Brave Indian Commuters, Calcutta
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Indians are the bravest commuters in the world. They hang from every handhold. The two shown here, however, are bent on clinching a seat before the car fills. Ancient double-decker buses sway and chug under the strain of double overloads and trams make packed New York subways seem comfortable by comparison.
Buffalo Herd on the Road, Calcutta
This buffalo herd's movements seem to be guided by whim alone and are typical of the complete indifference to traffic control by man and animal alike. this is Old Court House street, one of Calcutta's busiest. In left background is Great Eastern Hotel, Calcutta's best, used by U.S. Officers as a billet.
A busy Calcutta Traffic Scene
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Calcutta's traffic is usually snarled. And the reasons are clearly shown. Shuffling coolies and padestrians with little regard for their lives seem completely oblivious to the perils of automotive traffic.
The American Red Cross Burra Club, Calcutta
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The American Red Cross Burra Club, leave center for GI's and recreation spot for all enlisted men. The unpretentious facade belies an interior complete with dormitory, snack bar, restaurant, music room games room, lounge, barber and tailor shops, wrapping service department and post exchange.
Opium Den in Chinatown, Calcutta
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A little snooping in Chinatown will turn up the little opium dens stuck down an alley (not recommended without police escort). Actually, the smokers shown in this picture do it legally. Each den is licensed for so many pipes. Each pipe costs a rupee, a phial of opium five rupees. Average smoker consumes aphial a day and there are about 186 pipes licensed in Calcutta.
Early Morning in Calcutta
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Early morning in many Calcutta street finds natives huddled around a breakfast teapot, having risen from their sidewalk abode. The milkman makes a regular stop at this community gathering on busy Park street.
Famine of 1943, Calcutta
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The indifference of the passerby on this downtown Calcutta street to the plight of the dying woman in the foreground is considered commonplace. During the famine of 1943, cases like this were to be seen in most every block, and though less frequent now, the hardened public reaction seems to have endured.
Calcutta Stock Exchange
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Street scene outside the Calcutta stock exchange. The noise is similar to the bedlam in all word exchange and many transactions (unofficial) take place in the street as shown here.
Sacred Cattle and Coolie
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Sacred cattle and coolies push and pull great carts to the loading platform of the Howrah railroad station in background, on of the city's two stations. Howrah is on the west bank of the river, and Sealdah, the other station, is in another section of Calcutta on the east side.
New American Kitchen
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After a couple of years in India, the bizarre aspects of street life become commonplace to the average soldier, as evidenced by the scant notice given the passing snake-walla by the GI at right bargaining for a shine from one of he city's hundreds of bootblacks. The New American Kitchen is a popular Chinese restaurant, owned by a Portuguese, and serves up a steak of chop-suey before you can say "Teek hai".
People lined up to buy Kerosene Oil
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Calcutta's poor from a line to buy kerosene at 6 a.m. Each little cubicle may contain a shop and living quarters for a family ranging possibly from 6 to 12. Sanitary facilities consist of an open street drain.
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