Archival pic from “Our Bombay,” a Dec. 1953 publication by Bombay Municipal Corporation (BMC) in which Prime Minister Nehru wrote: ‘A city, like a house, is not a mere collection of steel and brick, cement and mortar. It is the outward expression of the life of a community’. Marine Drive with 35 consecutive Art Deco sea facing buildings was the road to be on. The automobile brought speed, power, streamlined design, mobility and symbolised both success and affluence in a modern aspirational city. In these pics @karlbhote tells us we see a mix of primarily English and American cars. Convertibles were already falling out of favour, confirmed by only one seen at the bottom right, likely a Sunbeam Talbot drophead coupe. Since this is the pre 'Fiat Ambassador' days, we see mostly foreign cars - majority of which were assembled in India. Ford had large scale assembly operations in Bombay. General Motors had similar operations in Sewri where Buick (retailed by Metro Motors), and Chevrolet cars (retailed by The Bombay Garage), rolled out. Dodge and Plymouth cars were assembled at Premier Automobiles Kurla facility, and retailed by The Bombay Cycle and Motor Agency which still stands at Sandhurst bridge. Across the road were the stunning modern Deco showrooms of Dadajee Dhackjee & Co, agents for Packard and Mercedes-Benz cars, at Shree Pant Bhuvan. The English were represented by Morris cars, sold by the French Motor Car Co. at New Queen's Road and Hillman Minx cars were assembled by Automobile Products of India (API) at their Bhandup facility. Austin cars were sold by The Automobile Co. Ltd, also at New Queen's Road. @karlbhote is a vintage & classic car enthusiast, with a particular fondness for India’s automotive history & Bombay’s Deco.

Now you see them… now you don’t! Desiree, Bandra; Godavari Kripa, Shivaji Park; Parimal, Shivaji Park; Sukrut, Shivaji Park. Art Deco buildings and precincts in Mumbai form a vital part of the city's urban landscape. Yet, many of them continue to disappear from our built environment due to the unrelenting demand for built space. This change has not only influenced the way we experience our public spaces, it has also resulted in the loss of modern living heritage. Your thoughts?

Now you see them… now you don’t! Desiree, Bandra; Godavari Kripa, Shivaji Park; Parimal, Shivaji Park; Sukrut, Shivaji Park. Art Deco buildings and precincts in Mumbai form a vital part of the city's urban landscape. Yet, many of them continue to disappear from our built environment due to the unrelenting demand for built space. This change has not only influenced the way we experience our public spaces, it has also resulted in the loss of modern living heritage. Your thoughts?

Now you see them… now you don’t! Desiree, Bandra; Godavari Kripa, Shivaji Park; Parimal, Shivaji Park; Sukrut, Shivaji Park. Art Deco buildings and precincts in Mumbai form a vital part of the city's urban landscape. Yet, many of them continue to disappear from our built environment due to the unrelenting demand for built space. This change has not only influenced the way we experience our public spaces, it has also resulted in the loss of modern living heritage. Your thoughts?

Now you see them… now you don’t! Desiree, Bandra; Godavari Kripa, Shivaji Park; Parimal, Shivaji Park; Sukrut, Shivaji Park. Art Deco buildings and precincts in Mumbai form a vital part of the city's urban landscape. Yet, many of them continue to disappear from our built environment due to the unrelenting demand for built space. This change has not only influenced the way we experience our public spaces, it has also resulted in the loss of modern living heritage. Your thoughts?

Marble Arch, Cumbala Hill, 1940’s. Architect: Gajanan B. Mhatre, A.R.I.B.A. Erected at Pedder Road for M. P. Dadachanjee commanding a beautiful sea view. It comprises of ground & five upper stories with a basement for garages. Each floor has one flat consisting of Drawing, Dining, Study, 3 Beds, Kitchen, Pantry, Store and 2 Servants’ rooms. Source: JIIA, 1943. Despite the limitations of the apartment template, some architects like Claude Batley and G B Mhatre were creative and unique in their apartment designs, especially in the way their buildings were sited, proportioned and detailed. Mhatre’s later buildings, Marble Arch on Pedder Road was outstanding when built in the 1940s and remains so today. It is especially interesting in its site placement and entry way. Marble Arch is curved so that both sides are seen as you approach it from Pedder Road. The building is not set back from the road uniformly. The logic of its orientation becomes clearer when you see that Marble Arch was part of a group of buildings set around an open space. The adjoining buildings, KumKum, Ark Royal and Windcliff, also designed by Mhatre, were part of the ensemble. Though the buildings differ from each other in their plan arrangements, they are visually connected by the continuity of the compound walls and similarity of some elements in the facades. Kamu Iyer in #Boombay 2014.