Paper Jewels: Exhibition charts journey of postcards across country under British Raj
An exhibition titled Paper Jewels, curated by historian Omar Khan traces the journey postcards through the major metropolitan cities of colonial India
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An exhibit at Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum in Mumbai that flagged off on 19 August, 2018 is a trip down the history of this vibrant city. Titled Paper Jewels: Postcards from the Raj, it charts the life of postcards in the major metropolitan cities in India. This postcard is an Oilette depicting the popular Crawford Market of Bombay. The Omar Khan Collection and The Alkazi Collection of Photography/ Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum
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Landmark hotels featured on postcards at a time when billions of these picture postcards from across the world exchanged hands. The exhibit is an attempt to map the recurrent themes of urbanism, art, tourism and the subsequent rise of nationalism that these Oilettes would have documented through the years. This particular work from the exhibit is a view as seen from Watson’s Hotel in the city. The Omar Khan Collection and The Alkazi Collection of Photography/ Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum
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The Royal Bombay Yacht Club in a painted postcard from the colonial era. At the time, postcards established a swift channel of communication between families, friends and businesses the world over. Between 1898 and 1903, billions of postcards were exchanged and this was a time when new printing technologies like rapid press lithography were being exploited by small workshops and artisans in European as well as in Indian cities. The Omar Khan Collection and The Alkazi Collection of Photography/ Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum
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This postcard depicts a general view of the Victoria Gardens of Bombay. The exhibit displaying numerous works from the pre-independence era has been curated by Omar Khan who has extensively researched early photography. His vast collection of postcards has been featured in his latest book titled, Paper Jewels. The Omar Khan Collection and The Alkazi Collection of Photography/ Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum
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The exhibition begins with the presentation of the Presidency states followed by the postcards in Ceylon. The display also includes mythological, allegorical works of Ravi Varma, artistic renditions of MV Dhurandar and popular images from the hills stations of Shimla and Ooty. This picture postcard shows the Post Office in the erstwhile Bombay and belongs to a section devoted to the images of Mumbai. The Omar Khan Collection and The Alkazi Collection of Photography/ Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum
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This postcard features the entrance to the Elephanta Caves, a popular tourist destination in Mumbai. The exhibit Paper Jewels, housed in the city’s celebrated museum has on display several other postcards created by Raphael Tuck & Sons, employed in service of the Majesties, The King and Queen of England. The Omar Khan Collection and The Alkazi Collection of Photography/ Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum
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‘A Peep into the Victoria Gardens,’ is yet another depiction of the city of Bombay which functioned as a crucial Presidency during the British Raj. The very nature of these picture postcards was international in such that a photograph was sent to Dresden by a publisher, postcards were struck from it by a printer and shipped back to Jaipur, then sold outside the Hawa Mahal to a tourist who later mailed it from Mumbai to London. The Omar Khan Collection and The Alkazi Collection of Photography/ Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum
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This particular work is a picture depicting the Hornby Road and the Floral Fountain, a well-known part of this city. Paper Jewels, curated by Omar Khan in consultation with and Rahaab Allana will be on display at the Kamalnayan Bajaj Special Exhibition Gallery in the museum till 1 October, 2018. The Omar Khan Collection and The Alkazi Collection of Photography/ Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum
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