Geteway of India about conclusion is
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Conclusion
This map shows both what the Government deemed pragmatic and relevant for a tourist or expat, but also what they were proud to show off about Bombay. While not cartoonish or childish, this map presents a naïve and simple view of Bombay’s urban fabric, one which emphasises all the ways that this city might be palatable to the Western visitor.
For comparison, please see below two depictions of Bombay during the same time, by local painter P.A. Dhond, and by Italian filmmaker Roberto Rossilini. The Rossilini film excerpt shows a more crowded and bustling city than this map conveys Bombay to be, and to be a city of the locals – in this clip we do not see a single expat. The colonial legacy is evident in the architecture in some places but not others: small shops and rundown buildings line some streets.
1958 Bombay, Gateway to India
This map reveals which elements of Bombay’s urban fabric the Indian Government hoped to highlight to western tourists – evidence of Bombay’s colonial legacy, examples of business opportunity in Bombay, and an image of polish and tidiness. Through these elements, the cartographer concretises Bombay’s identity as the Gateway of India.
Introduction and Map
This map, titled “Bombay – The Gateway of India,” was produced by the Government in 1958. More specifically, it was produced by the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity, under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, for the Ministry of Transport and Communications. It follows that this map was certainly created for visitors to the city. This is confirmed by the key in the bottom right of the map, which explains the use of nine small icons, including icons for hotels, travel agencies, and money exchangers. The map is made in English, the language of their colonisers, but also one of the official languages of India at the time, more importantly the official language understandable to western visitors. This map is a tool for portraying Bombay to a western audience, for whomever was visiting Bombay at the time. The inclusion of items such as the “Government of India, Tax Office” as well as shipping and air companies suggests that this map is not intended only for tourists, but also western expats who have come to work and conduct business. This map reveals which elements of Bombay’s urban fabric the Indian Government hoped to highlight to western tourists – evidence of Bombay’s colonial legacy, examples of business opportunity in Bombay, and an image of polish and tidiness. Through these elements, the cartographer concretises Bombay’s identity as the Gateway of India.
Colonial Legacy Bridging Cultures
Bombay of 1958 was a multicultural hub with English and Portuguese colonial legacies, as well as competing local cultures. This map heavily emphasises the English colonial legacy in Bombay, perhaps as a way to make the city more welcoming to the typical western visitor. Perhaps the high proportion of English colonial products are simply a reflection of the reality of Mumbai in 1958. The street names alone include a myriad of English names: Grant, Lamington, Nesbit, Queen’s, Ballard, Duncan, Clare, Haines… to this day, a cursory search on Google maps shows that few of the street names have changed: this element of the legacy is undeniable