Sharad kohli
Collecting is in the blood of Tarun Thakral, the man behind the magnificent Heritage Transport Museum just outside Gurgaon. So much so, he has now come up with another museum, this one an online wonder.
‘Kaagaz ke Phool’ (kaagazkephool.com) is a collection of original Indian prints, lithographs, posters, calendars, labels and more, spanning all the way from the 1890s up to the 1970s, each one digitised for members to access for free. This ‘legacy in print’ is a treasure trove open to anyone with an interest in vintage artworks, or for those studying or researching into the visual history of 20th century India.
Thakral had started collecting these during Covid and built up an enviable collection of over 4,000, which he decided to share with the public, driven by a desire to preserve and promote art. Presently, the website has 3,000-plus prints, a collection that continues to grow. There are rare prints, classic prints, and lesser-known but no less eye-catching gems, each bringing past eras magically back to life.
Making up this repository are film posters from the heyday of Indian cinema, evocative Indian Railways posters, and those iconic Air India ads, complete with the airline’s engaging mascot, the Maharaja. Also finding space here are prints of Indian deities, among them many of Goddess Laxmi; these are lithographs based on Raja Ravi Varma’s original (and popular) paintings, which would go on to be used by companies to advertise their products, in calendars, or sold as eminently collectible prints.
Each of these prints has been scanned and digitised, their back stories researched and shared, and the artists, publishers and printers behind them revealed (Raja Ravi Varma, M.V. Dhurandhar, G.V. Venkatesh Rao, G.V. Lad, et al). Their vibrant colours, bold designs, and elaborate details reflect the country’s cultural and commercial evolution while capturing the aesthetic zeitgeist and creative vision of these momentous decades.
(The prints are not for sale)
