An upcoming exhibition of ancient collectibles is all set to kindle nostalgia by drawing viewers into an evocative past, reports Marisha Karwa
When we were kids, my cousins and I had a favourite summertime activity — travelling back in time. We would pretend to use a 'secret time machine' to zap ourselves into the black-and-white era or propel ourselves into the future and get bewildered by our own imaginations and the places we'd taken ourselves to.
We are now a bunch of grown-ups and, much to our collective dismay, the 'secret time machine' still exists in the realm of our imaginations. But, fortunately for us, reliving the times of a bygone era no longer involves pretend-play. Thanks to art historian Dilnavaz Mehta, one can now transpose back in time while viewing her exhaustive collection of rare artworks, prints, books and maps.
An avid collector of old and rare books, Dilnavaz gave up a career in the pharmaceutical industry nearly 20 years ago for a vortex that sucks you into the past. She has since been travelling across India to collect old books, maps, artworks and prints for collectors, private libraries and for history and art buffs. Every now and then, she exhibits collections from her venture, aptly called Rare Finds, for the public.
"I want to spread and enrich people's lives. A lot of people want to preserve these shards of our past, but often they don't know where to go or how to tell an original piece from the reproductions," says Dilnavaz. "All of our artefacts come with written information about the place, the artist, the year, the event, etc."
In her latest exhibition, Hindoostan Revisited, which will open on December 3, Dilnavaz will focus on British artist William Simson, who came to India on two occasions — the first was soon after the 1857 sepoy mutiny and the second was to document Prince of Wales during his travels here. The exhibition will feature her extensive collection of prints (including illustrations and lithographs), maps and books from the 16th to the early 20th centuries.
The Rare Finds exhibition will, for the first time, also showcase vintage print advertisements, some from as far back as 1921. "The advertisements are a telling slice of life element from our past. For instance, did you know that the Bombay Gas Company's humongous gas holder in Chinchpokli was a famous city landmark in the 1930s? Or that 50 per cent of the city's public lamps were then being run on gas?" she asks. "Besides, they add a bit of quirkiness to the collection."
Gripe water, Roger's soda, Pears soap, Bata's Ambassador shoe, Dunlop tyres and that very quintessential stamp on the Bombay skyline, the Taj Mahal Hotel, will be among the more than 200 classic imageries from vintage advertisements that will be on display at the exhibition this week.
Hindoostan Revisited will run from 3 December 2014 to 9 December 2014 at Cymroza Art Gallery, Bhulabhai Desai Road.
How to preserve old books
-Store old books in closed cupboards or showcases. Do not expose them to an environment which is moist.
-Regularly open books which have a leather cover as disuse can cause the leather to crack.
-Clean books frequently, preferably with a soft cloth like white muslin.
-Air old books by randomly opening some pages — if possible, under direct sunlight for a few minutes.
-Do not open an old book fully by spreading it out under pressure, as this will cause the pages to loosen from the spine.
-Do not wrap books in plastic bags, as doing so will cause the covers to bend.
-Do not use DDT powder within the pages of a book.
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