Expo to feature rare pics taken by British lensmen

kolkata: A unique exhibition of photographs titled 'From Waste to Wealth' will be held in the Town Hall soon. This is for the first time when these photographs will be on display.

The photographs were taken by well-known British photographers who had visited Calcutta (now Kolkata) between 1870 and 1920. Altogether 70 pictures will be on display. The photographs include buildings, landscape, lives of people who used to live in Kolkata during this period among others.These photos were kept in the record room of the office of the Administrator general and Official Trustee of West Bengal. For decades they had been kept under

lock and key and no one knew about them.

The hidden treasure was unearthed by Biplab Roy, Administrator General and Official Trustee of West Bengal. He recovered the photographs and restored them. Proper framing has been done. Mayor Firhad Hakim has shown keen interest to hold the exhibition.

Meetings have been held between Roy and Shantanu Basu, secretary state Information and Cultural Affairs department. Roy said there is a proposal to sell the photographs and the exhibition is likely to fetch not less than Rs 5 crore. "These are very rare photographs and people would love to have copies of them which they would put up in their houses or in places like restaurants, hotels. We will do proper framing and sell them."

A senior state government official said as the photos will be sold concurrence of state Finance will be required. Once the clearance comes, the date of the exhibition will be fixed. The department of state Information and Cultural Affairs has suggested that it would be held for three months as more and more people should come to see them. There are people particularly the young generation who visit photo exhibitions that are held in different art galleries and the National Library. "This exhibition, which is being held for the first time in the city, will receive great response in Kolkata," the official said.