City college organises exhibition of rare articles

MUSKAAN AHMED

CHENNAI: The department of history at Women’s Christian College organised an exhibition, featuring some of the rarest articles displayed by city historians, like John Moses Venkataraman Prabhakar, Rolands Nelson, as a part of the Madras Week Celebrations on Wednesday.

John displayed World War cutlery dating 1939, bicycle lamps, Railway lamps dating 1904, British locks, cameras, etc. “You see all of this at a museum behind a glass. Until and unless you don’t touch it and feel it, you won’t understand it. That is why I always allow people to touch the items on display and get a closer look,” says John, as he helps one of the students carry a heavy British lock.

While, Venkataraman displayed Gundoosi magazines from 1950, Annie Besant’s New India, an English-style inkpot and pen, dial telephone among others. He points towards a small tea pot like object and asks what it was. “It is not a tea pot,” he chuckles. “It is a pressure cooker from 1860, it is small and compact like a tea pot. It also opens the same way,” he says.

Rolands, a stamp collector portrayed the postal history of Madras by displaying correspondence of citizens of Madras from 1853 – 1947. “For as long as I can remember, I have been collecting postcards. But if I had to put a number on it, I’d say 60 years,” he says.

The one-day exhibition was open to several schools, colleges and the public.