This exhibit in Delhi gives a peep into Tarun Thakral’s collection of vintage print-ad posters

Exhibition Journey Through Time: +1 Day, +1 Story at Le Meridien showcases hand-drawn Indian commercial posters from 1920s to 1960s

At a time when it is unexpected to even imagine the flags of India and Pakistan in one frame, a poster at an exhibition by Le Meridien, New Delhi, and the Archives of Tarun Thakral goes against the grain.

A hand-drawn print advertisement of the Scottish shipping company, Anchor Line, shows the flags against the backdrop of a sun-lit, red-orange sky and sketches of howdah-decked elephants, women balancing pots on their heads and a building that resembles a temple.

The word “relax”, placed between “India and Pakistan” and “Anchor Line”, may as well serve as cautionary advice.

“Anchor Line sailing services, bringing in passengers from Great Britain to India and Pakistan, was started in 1948. Their ships used to dock in Karachi and Bombay. This poster dates back to the ’50s and the artist has rightly captured the white folks on the ship,” says Tarun Thakral, executive director of CJ International Hotels and patron of the Archival Collection.

In all, 29 posters from his collection feature at the ongoing exhibition of hand-drawn Indian commercial posters from 1920s to 1960s — Journey Through Time: +1 Day, +1 Story. “Since it’s a leap year, we wanted people to see a rare collection of 28+1 original images from yesteryears. The exhibits transcend into a journey of the evolution of design aesthetics and rich visual history of India, engaging the onlookers with the charm of offset and lithographic techniques,” he says.

Tarun started collecting these posters some five years ago, a habit fuelled by his fascination for material that evokes nostalgia. “While curating the Heritage Transport Museum in Gurugram a decade ago, I stumbled upon some rare printed advertisements of petrol and oil companies. Later, I started searching for more advertisement posters; it was a task to find them in mint condition because most print material cannot withstand the vagaries of Indian weather. I met dealers and even participated in auctions to bring posters from the U.K. and U.S.,” he says.

“While curating the Heritage Transport Museum in Gurugram a decade ago, I stumbled upon some rare printed advertisements of petrol and oil companies. Later, I started searching for more advertisement posters; it was a task to find them in mint condition because most print material cannot withstand the vagaries of Indian weather. I met dealers and even participated in auctions to bring posters from the U.K. and U.S.,” he says.