Being a postcard collector…

Name any tourist destination, Attada Babu Rao, who has collected 800-odd postcards, has a montage to show and a story to tell.

A. Babu Rao exhibiting his rare collection of postcards in Vijayawada. PHOTO: V. Raju

It was perhaps his keen interest in people and places; their physical environments – natural and manmade- as well as customs, pastimes and amusements that spurred Attada Babu Rao to take to deltiology (an official term for collecting and studying postcards).

At 65, he has a vast collection of postcards with images of tourist destinations across the globe that can set one on an enchanting journey through history via beautiful locales. Exhibiting his prized collection on the World Tourism Day (September 27), the sexagenarian talks endlessly about how he had managed to get these colourful post cards from every nook and cranny of the world through his several pen pals scattered across the globe. “I don’t think many people are into deltiology. Collecting postcards can be a rewarding pastime,” he says, pointing to images of historic sites, tourist attractions and resorts besides famous industries, schools, churches.

A philatelist and a numismatist, he gradually diversified to deltiology way back in 1970. “Most of these postcards are very difficult to come by now. I had nearly 130 pen friends across the world, who are now reduced to merely 10, thanks to the internet,” he says with a wry smile.

A couple of months ago, when he approached the Limca Book of Records with a collection of 800-odd postcards, the latter asked him to come back after adding a 100 more. “I have time till June next year. By then, I may even cross the 1,000-mark,” he says, imbued with enthusiasm.

Toss a query on a particular tourist place and he spreads out dozens of postcards, creating a montage of colours splashed across, with famous monuments like the Golden Gate Bridge at San Francisco, the Eiffel Tower of Paris, Malaysia’s twin towers, Australian beaches, waterfalls in Nigeria and hordes of other breath-taking scenes from Germany, Denmark, Italy, Bahrain, Japan, Singapore, Honk Kong among others narrating a historic tale.

Upset over not being able to make a hat-trick by having his name enrolled in the Record Books for third consecutive year, he says he will put a full stop after third attempt.

Ask him what next and his smile returns. “The hunt will never cease.”