The Hindu : Advertisements in early 20th Century

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 08, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka-Bangalore

Advertisements in early 20th Century

By Divya Sreedharan

BANGALORE April 7. What was Bangalore like in the early 20th Century and how did its businessmen sell their wares? Back then, they were a genteel lot, with names like A.Lavender and Co., F.T.Peters and Co., and Jules Phaure, and the advertisements were nice and discrete.

These businessmen had shops on South Parade (now Mahatma Gandhi Road) and their prices of their wares ranged from Re.1 to Rs.250. Sadly, though, their stories lie unread in a book at the Mythic Society Library.

Librarian Nagamma says that only scholars, M.A., M.Phil and Ph.D students or lecturers go there. "Collegians rarely come here,'' she says. If they did, they would find Mr. Lavender, Mr. Peter and Mr. Phaure in ``Campbell's Directory for Mysore and Bangalore'' of 1920.

Bangalore then was much taken up with ``built-to-order'' rickshaws that came with rubber tyres at Rs.250 and with "iron tyres" for Rs.200. Then, there were "British made'' hardwood door handles available at Re.1 per pair and locks at prices ranging between Rs.2 and Rs.8, each.

When it came to clothes, wool, silk or cotton was the rage. Mr. Lavender's company, for example, dealt in silks and had an office in the Prince of Wales Building, South Parade.

The firm's advertisement speaks of how, silk quality and origins, were "...unfortunately in nine cases out of 10, hidden from the public.'' Many a "Lady" and many a "simple Tommy Atkins" had been fooled into buying what they thought was ``real'' Indian silk. But in truth, only "our Mr. Lavender'' and his company had the best silks, is essentially, what the advertisement tries to say.

Other names in the directory include A.P.Butler and Co., Boot and Shoe manufacturers; J.W.Smith, Caterer and Confectioner; G.Swasbrook; Hill News Agency; Coronation Carriageworks (carriages were in vogue then); Dalley's Studio (for the latest appliances in photography) and Addison and Co., Stationers and Printers, who stocked typewriters, cyclostyles, letter presses, wristlets and pocket watches.

The book is almost crumbling now. But those who walk into the Mythic Society library are even allowed to photograph sections. "Xerox is not allowed because many of the books are too fragile,'' Ms. Nagamma explains. All that she and her colleague, Lalithamma, ask is that the books be treated with care. The directory evokes an era of civilised living, when streets were relatively unpolluted and buildings free of hoardings and banners. Eighty-three years is a long time. Now South Parade does not exist. Neither do the businesses. But then, they probably would not fit in a world full of ``market research'' and ``PR'' (public relations) people.

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Advertisements in early 20th Century