1908 Calcutta Trades Association Report – Rare Colonial India Trade Book
 
Overview
 
A very rare 1908 publication of the Report of the Committee of the Calcutta Trades Association, covering the period 1st January – 31st December 1907. Printed at the Caxton Press, Mission Row, Calcutta by W. Newman & Co., this hardback is an important historical record of late colonial trade in India.
 
The Calcutta Trades Association (CTA), incorporated under the Indian Companies Act of 1882, was one of the region’s most influential business organisations. It represented and promoted the interests of merchants, traders, and industrialists in colonial Bengal.
 
This copy is complete and remains in good condition for its age, with 114 pages tightly bound.
 
Historical Significance
 
The Calcutta Trades Association was central to the commercial life of Calcutta (now Kolkata) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Annual reports such as this one provide valuable insights into:
Trade conditions in colonial India
Business regulation under the Indian Companies Act (1882)
Economic networks linking Britain and India
The role of trade organisations in shaping colonial commerce
 
Such documents are of particular interest to historians, economists, and collectors of Indian colonial history.
 
Exterior Condition
 
Bound in boards with cloth spine
Black lettering, decorative border, and CTA emblem on the front board
Robust and intact for age (nearly 120 years old)
Wear includes: small pinprick holes in boards, light rubbing at edges, bumping to corners, minor surface marks, and faint scratches
Binding remains secure
 
Interior Condition
 
Pages: 114 total
Paper quality: Lightly tanned, consistent with age
Pinprick holes from boards extend faintly through text block but do not obscure text
Very occasional light crease, otherwise pages clean and predominantly unmarked
Small bubbling to back pastedown, with a tiny rip to the inner edge (see photo)
No pen or pencil inscriptions
Pages tight and secure, no loose or missing leaves
 
Publication Details
 
Title: Report of the Committee of the Calcutta Trades Association – For 1907
Association: Incorporated under the Indian Companies Act, 1882
Publisher: W. Newman & Co., Caxton Press, Mission Row, Calcutta
Year: 1908
Format: Hardback
Pagination: 114 pages
Dimensions: approx. 21.4 cm x 14.2 cm x 0.8 cm
Weight: approx. 215 grams