PROBASHI- A Cultural News Magazine Volume 2 Issue 2 | Page 53

Probashi-Reader’s Contribution
Chinese called Tom Fat was
informing the citizens of Calcutta
that he is skilled in cleaning ponds
and ditches at a low cost. In modern
Calcutta there is hardly any pond or
ditch to be found. Just below this
advertisement Tom Fat advertised
that he is skilled in making sugar fit
to be taken with bread. What a
combination of profession –
cleaning ponds & ditches and
preparation of sugar.
An advertisement dated 25th
November, 1784: “Half a dozen
good writers are wanted. People
with bad handwriting need not
apply.” In the present day such
advertisements for job vacancies
are not to be found.
10th March, 1785: a couple
advertises – “Wife is a good hairdresser and husband is a good
coachman.”
In 1850, Hiller and Jordan
advertised
that
near
the
Ochterlony Monument, they have a
dancing room for horses. We know
that circus parties come to town
with horses and other animals but a
horse dancing party has never been

heard of.
News items of that time were also
unique in their own way. In
modern days, the motor vehicle
may be said to be the greatest
killer on road. But in those days,
some people died being crushed
under
horse-drawn
vehicles.
Samachar Chandrika reported: “On
Wednesday night, a foreigner in a
drunken state was strolling in front
of China Bazaar, when a carriage
came and knocked him. He met his
death under the wheels of the
carriage.

`
developed. It cannot be denied that
Calcutta’s socio-cultural life has
progressed in the same pace as the
press. It was just after this period
that Harish Chandra Mukherjee’s
“Hindu Patriot” shook the British
administration. The honourable Sisir
Kumar Ghosh, founder of Amrita
Bazar Patrika and Upendranath,
founder of “Dainik Basumati” have
demonstrated abilities of the
Bengali journalists. But all these
took place when the middle-class
Bengali received English education
and patriotic & national feelings
were infused within them.

In those days, selling of human
beings openly was prevalent. A
news clip in the Samachar Darpan
of 18th June, 1825: Selling of a
daughter – One day ago a
Vaishnavi with her 12-year old
beautiful daughter was coming
from Burdwan to Calcutta to
receive alms at a Sradhha
ceremony in Babu Ram Dulal
Sircar’s house. But on reaching
Pharasdanga, she learnt that the
ceremony was already over. So, in
order to earn some money she
went to Srijukta Kishen Chand Ray
Bahadur and willingly sold her
daughter for Rs. 150/- and returned
home.
On 11th October 1828, there was
also news about selling wife. An
oilman, because of rise in the price
of rice, sold his wife for a few
rupees.

An old newspaper advertisement of
Jabakusum Hair Oil.

These news clips from old
newspapers of Calcutta surely do
help to have some idea of the
prevailing social customs to a
reasonable extent. But these were
not the only types of news in the
papers or else horse carriage would
not have changed over to
automobiles.
Hindu
College,
Calcutta
University,
National
Library etc. would not have
51

Tagore was probably the first Indian
celebrity to endorse consumer
products. Above, Tagore seen in a
newspaper advertisement for Godrej
soap. The motivation for product
endorsement was unlike today was
not money, but to promote swadeshi
(Indian made) products. Those were
different times.