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Cotton bales lying at the Bombay terminus of the Great Indian Peninsular Railway, 1862. Creator: Unknown
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Cotton bales lying at the Bombay terminus of the Great Indian Peninsular Railway, 1862. Creator: Unknown
Cotton bales lying at the Bombay terminus of the Great Indian Peninsular Railway ready for shipment to England, 1862. Engraving from a photograph by Messrs. M'Combie and Wright. The question was anxiously put, when the American War surprised us, "Can our colonies - can India - make up the deficiency of cotton held back by this untoward event?"...it would seem that the provinces served by the railways have made some effort to make America's extremity their opportunity of increasing the supply of cotton...The spectator from some height of vantage ground would see at first nought but piles upon piles of bales of cotton, apparently without order; but by threading the intricacies of their winding alleys, and scanning carefully the marks upon the goods, some glimmering of a plan might be discovered...The open yard is subdivided into sections, denoted by numbers conspicuously painted on huts; and by these, assisted by the marks of the consignment, the owners get their own eventually. These huts, and the native clerks and merchants scattered about, may be noticed in our Engraving'. From "Illustrated London News", 1862
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Media ID 35126793
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EDITORS COMMENTS
In this image from 1862, cotton bales lie stacked at the Bombay terminus of the Great Indian Peninsular Railway, eagerly awaiting shipment to England. The scene unfolds at a pivotal moment in history, as the American Civil War had disrupted the cotton supply from the United States, leaving England's textile industry in a state of crisis. The question on everyone's mind was whether India, served by the railways, could make up for the deficiency in cotton. The answer seemed to be a resounding yes, as evidenced by the vast quantities of cotton bales seen in the photograph. At first glance, the chaotic arrangement of bales might appear disorganized, but upon closer inspection, a discernible pattern emerges. The open yard is subdivided into sections, denoted by numbers painted on huts. These sections, combined with the consignment marks on the bales, enable the owners to retrieve their goods efficiently. Native clerks and merchants are scattered about, overseeing the operations and ensuring the smooth flow of commerce. This photograph, taken by Messrs. M'Combie and Wright and engraved for the Illustrated London News, provides a glimpse into the bustling activity at Bombay's railway terminus during this critical period. The cotton bales, piled high and ready for export, symbolize the opportunity India seized to alleviate America's extremity and bolster England's textile industry.
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