India House

India House was the nexus of British imperial power. It was the home base of the East India Company, which was not a government agency, but a private joint-stock company that ruled Britain’s colonies in South Asia. Here, in the company’s London salesroom, the riches that came from Asian trade made their way into Britain’s economy. There seems to be aggressive bidding today, and the clerk at right is looking carefully to make sure that each bid is correctly recorded.