Images of the Valley

Rare photographs depicting life in Kashmir since the mid-19th century will be on display this summer, reports Ehsan Fazili

A rare collection of more than 3,500 rare photographs depicting the life of people, places, rulers, traders and landscapes of Kashmir over a period of 100 years between 1850s and 1950s will be soon on display. The collection, known as ‘Nostalgic Kashmir,’ will become a reality due to the efforts of Wasim Showkat Wani, a young hotelier in the Nehru Park area, near Dal Lake, who has collected these over a period of nine years through personal collections, museums and other sources, both local and outsiders.

Initially the rare pictures were displayed in the rooms in his Hotel Madhuban. Nearly a dozen rare pictures caught the attention of Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad at the Reception counter of Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), Srinagar, in June 2006.

When the Chief Minister announced that the President of India, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam would inaugurate the exhibition of these photographs, young Wasim Showkat could not believe it. The President of India inaugurated the exhibition of 350 pictures at the SKICC on July 28, 2006, amid other engagements in the summer capital. "It was a rare honour for us", says Wasim Showkat Wani.

There has been an encouraging public response as thousands of people, mostly lovers of Kashmir history, visited the exhibition of these pictures on two occasions. First, the exhibition was thrown open for public from July 31 to August 2, 2006 at the SKICC, while another display was made at the two-week-long Industrial Exhibition at Kashmir HAAT between November 10 and 26, 2006. Not all the pictures could be displayed at any of the exhibitions, laments Wasim Showkat. He said the facilities of art galleries suitable for displaying such rare photographs were lacking in Kashmir. The President had shown keen interest in the rare photographs depicting the life of Kashmir since the mid-19th century. While 350 photographs were displayed at the SKICC, nearly 500 others had been displayed at the industrial exhibition that followed. "It is difficult to choose what not to display", commented Waseem.

"It was my hobby and it took a serious turn eight years ago", said Waseem Showkat, when he started a collection of more and more rare photographs, beginning with a collection of only 10. These are some personal collection of people, with others from museums, old books, webs and old shops. It seems to be an unending fascination for him and more and more collections would be added to add more to the "Kashmir Nostalgia".

A caption on one of the pictures says: "London Crown jewelers are busy at work making one of the biggest silver dinner sets yet known in 1909-10. It is for the Maharaja of Kashmir and will cost at least £18,000. Silversmiths, artists, highly skilled using ancient implements and methods are carrying out the work. As many as 36 persons will be able to feed off this costly dinner set." It is learnt that part of the cutlery shown is still being used by the Hospitality and Protocol Department of the Jammu and Kashmir Government.

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