The National Museum of Indian Cinema (NMIC) announced the acquisition of a collection of cameras and artefacts on Tuesday. The rare items were donated by Shobha Nayyar, daughter of late Kahan Chand Nayyar, an amateur photographer and an IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre.
The collection includes approximately 200 cameras along with artefacts such as an original rare Magic Lantern with glass slide/frame and a replica of the telescope used by American astronaut Neil Armstrong. “My father was a collector of books and cameras; our house was full of both,” said Ms. Nayyar.
“I have always wanted that his invaluable collection of film-related equipment find its place in a museum of the stature of NMIC, which will preserve it and make it available for the masses. I am happy that the process of handing over these items could be completed in just 47 days,” she said.
The collection includes a 8mm portable projector, a vintage flashgun, polaroid cameras, Bencini Comet III Camera, Coronet Midget (a tiny box camera), Munchen Antique Miniature Camera, Benecini Koroll 24S and Field Camera, a Baldalux Folding camera made by Blada in the 1950s, Mamiya Camera made during the 1940s, and an 8mm Spool Film Camera made in 1954. “The collection donated by Ms. Nayyar is a very big and rare collection,” said Director General of Films Division, Prashant Pathrabe. “Through the media, I make an appeal to the film fraternity, especially senior members of the industry, to donate historical film artefacts to the museum, so that the whole society could benefit from it,” he said.
Mr. Pathrabe also announced that NMIC has acquired a collection of film costumes, properties, posters and literature from iconic Bengali films which were in the possession of M/s Aurora Film Corporation, one of the oldest film production-distribution companies in Kolkata. Mr. Pathrabe said, “We are keen on arranging film screenings together with the National Film Archive of India. Efforts are being made to augment the collection of artefacts on regional cinema as well.”
