Glimpses into the twin-city that Bengaluru once was

Tue Dec 10 02:30:00 UTC 2024: ## Bengaluru’s Past Unveiled: Postcard Exhibition Showcases City’s Dual Identity

**Bengaluru, December 10, 2024** – A new exhibition at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) in Bengaluru offers a captivating glimpse into the city’s past, revealing a stark contrast between its colonial cantonment and native “pete” areas. “From Bangalore, with Love,” showcasing around 50 postcards dating from 1890-1910, illustrates the distinct identities and unequal division of the city during the British Raj.

The exhibition, part of the Blr Hubba arts festival, features postcards from the private collection of Martin Henry, a former director of Madura Coats, now curated by his daughter, Clare Arni. The images depict the cantonment’s British residents in Victorian attire enjoying Cubbon Park and M.G. Road, while others showcase the bustling markets and temple processions of the native pete.

Co-curator Suresh Jayaram, an artist and art historian, highlights the postcards’ significance in revealing the separate yet coexisting worlds of colonial Bengaluru. He explains that the postcards, inexpensive at the time (an anna or so), served as a form of early “new media,” communicating images of the city’s gardens, parks, and architecture to those back home.

The exhibition’s curatorial note emphasizes the postcards’ role in documenting the British perspective on their conquered land and the lives of the native population. The images reflect the social customs, architecture, and picturesque scenes of the time, offering a nostalgic view of a bygone era and contributing to the image building of colonial Bengaluru.

The exhibition, which runs until December 15th, has received positive feedback from both the public and local historians, who recognize the valuable historical record these postcards provide in understanding Bengaluru’s evolution. The postcards offer a unique perspective on a city transformed, reminding viewers of a slower, greener past – a nostalgic image that resonates deeply with long-term Bengaluru residents.