Ranabir Ray Choudhury, during his extensive career with The Statesman in Calcutta from 1970 to 1994, primarily as a leader writer, developed a keen interest in the historical aspects of this significant city. Calcutta had been chosen by the East India Company as the central hub for its operations in the Indian subcontinent, including the eastern regions extending to Singapore and beyond. This burgeoning interest eventually culminated in the creation of three compilations: "Glimpses of Old Calcutta 1835-1850" (1978), "Calcutta a Hundred Years Ago 1880-1890" (1987), and "Early Calcutta Advertisements 1875-1925" (1992).
Ranabir Ray Choudhury subsequently authored "The Lord Sahib's House, Sites of Power: Government Houses of Calcutta 1690-1911" in 2010. His sixth book, "A City in the Making, Aspects of Calcutta's Early Growth," was published by Niyogi Books in 2016.
