A typewriter is not merely a machine. It is an inseparable chapter of a long history. There is no way to forget it. An exhibition has been organised in Santiniketan showcasing stories and history about typewriters in India. This novel exhibition is running at Arthashila Art Gallery. After crossing two and a half decades of the twenty-first century, computers have swallowed everything around, leaving typewriters far behind. But even then, it could not be cancelled overnight from the pages of history.
There always remains confusion about whether memories are always pleasant or not. But just uttering the word typewriter brings back that familiar clacking sound to the ears. People from the old days say that for quite some time, they used to advise family children to learn typing after secondary or higher secondary examinations. Typing learning centres were also noticeably present in every neighbourhood.
Time moved forward. Computers breathed down the neck of typewriters.
Suddenly, everything disappeared. It remains as a grey memorial in the Parliament, the Supreme Court, and the Rashtrapati Bhavan. A novel exhibition has started in Santiniketan featuring the story of typewriters' long journey, their conflict and reconciliation with modernity, and various unknown tales. This exhibition by Godrej, the first indigenous technology typewriter company, will run at Arthashila Art Gallery until January 12. This free exhibition offers the opportunity to type alongside viewing typewriters.
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Exhibition design creator Sarita Sundar was saying, "With Great Truth and Regard is a book written about the continuous transformation of typewriters in India. The exhibition is organised based on this. There used to be sound while typing, but not with computers. But that very sound of typewriters is nostalgic. This exhibition is organised to familiarise the new generation with the stories of that time."
The exhibition also features photographs of independent India's first President, Rajendra Prasad and first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, using indigenous typewriters. There are various stories about the country's typewriters, and short documentaries are being shown. Chiradeep, the photographer of this exhibition, says, "An entire generation is actually named typewriter. Many unknown stories are hidden within this, and the exhibition is about those stories. A child making a mistake while typing asks their mother how to delete. These things identify a generation. This is our initiative to introduce the new generation to it."
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American scientist Christopher Latham Sholes invented the typewriter in 1868. In 1873, the American company Remington and Sons manufactured typewriters and released them in the market. Its arrival in India was more than two decades after the invention. The British brought typewriters to India in 1890. They were used by various government departments and courts. In this country, the Indian company Godrej first manufactured typewriters with indigenous technology in 1955.
Brinda Pathari, head of Godrej company's archives, was saying, "Our company made the first typewriter with indigenous technology. It has currently been discontinued. However, this exhibition is so that no one forgets the story of typewriters. Photographs from that time, notes from engineers and experts from our archives have been presented in the exhibition."
