Express News Service | 09th October 2017
An overview of Baburaj’s collection of postal cards and envelopes
PALAKKAD:In this age of Snapchats, WeChat, WhatsApp, and
whatnot,vintage postcards and envelopes have become passe, pushed to
near oblivion by digital Darwinism. But K B Baburaj of Thenkurissi in
Palakkkad, has held onto a treasure trove of cards from yore.One of the
startling facts about postcards is while it cost ‘quarter anna’ when it
was brought out 138 years ago, today, its priced at a measly 50 paise
even when the value of the rupee has soared manifold.The Centre, on the
other hand, spends a pitiable Rs 2.50 to send the card to the addressee.
out by the East India Company in 1879
“In 1990, I was deputed to cover an event attended by a foreign
delegation, who came to study literacy in the state. After they flew
back, they started contacting me by post. They also wanted some stamps
brought out by India. So, I visited various philately clubs and my
interest in the collection of stamps and postal stationery grew,” said
Baburaj , a photographer by profession.“Subsequently, I attended various
exhibitions organised by the Postal Department in different parts of
the country, including New Delhi, and began collecting postal
stationery. Over 18 years ago, I purchased postal stationery from the
British era at a cost of `12,000 and these are some of my prized
collections,” he said.“I have five frames of postal stationery alone.
Each frame has 32 rows and over 2,000 postal cards,” he told Express.
His extensive collection includes the first postal cover used in 1856
at a price of ‘one anna’ , the cover used in 1857 costing ‘half anna’,
the postcard brought out by Dr Emmanuel Herman of Austria in 1869, the
one brought out by the East India Company in 1879, which is half the
size of the present postcard designed by Thomas De Le Rue and printed
at a press in London. The first international postcard was brought out
in 1879 at a price of ‘half anna’, followed by the service postcard in
1880. In 1889, a minor change was brought to the postcard and the word
‘East’ was removed.It was known as the Indian postcard henceforth. “In
1912, during the rule of King George V, the postcard was resized to the
one we use today”, said Baburaj.
One of the main drawbacks of the
postcard cited by critics was that it lacked secrecy. The stamps
arrived 15 years before the postcards were brought by Emmanuel Herman,
he said.He also had the ‘air graph’ in 1941, a type of international
mail brought out in association with Kodak during the Second World War.
The letter is written, photographed and the film reels are sent to the destination where it is again processed and converted into mail. This was in vogue for only four years during the time of the war.
The inland was brought out in 1946 and was priced at 16 anna.Baburaj is
also into philately and numismatics. He has in his possession stamps of
16 native kingdoms of ancient India.
Source : http://www.newindianexpress.com
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