Nostalgic Oddments

In recent years, the word 'shoebox' is often getting seen in articles of magazine section in newspapers.  Triggered by this idea, I finally made one, two and three shoeboxes to preserve the various oddments I had gathered over since my childhood.  Sentiments and memories of the items I list here are many, but I will try to be brief on each item.  Let us have some nostalgic moments. 

This is the first 'shoebox', but actually it was a banian [vest] box.  This cardboard box was suitable to keep the items. The box itself is Mysore vintage, most likely from the 60s.  The vests manufactured by the long defunct and famous Krishnarajendra Mills [K.R.Mills] were used by my grandfather. 

Let me begin with this since this is of the earliest toy I can remember.  Wooden blocks with pictures pasted on them.  The kids had to arrange the blocks to make the picture - like a puzzle. There were six pictures to be made with each side having a picture on the six sides of the cuboid block. There were 12 in the set, but three are missing. The block I hold shows a portion of an areoplane.   There was 'cow' and 'horse' on other sides.

Frame of counting beads.  The original frame had gone weak and when I grew old enough to do some carpentry and when it was time for my daughter to play with it, I replaced it with suitable old wood and replaced the wire also.  Some beads had to be left out.  But they are safe in a box.  This is my pre-school counting instrument. 

This little plastic elephant can walk on its own.  All it asks is a sufficient down gradient to show its ability.  It was bought at Mysore Dasara Exhibition in the 1960s.  My favourite toy.  I feature it here despite keeping it in the showcase and not in the shoebox..  It has no place in the box because it is an ELEPHANT!  :)

Another memorable drawing toy.  I used to make a number of designs using these wheels and different coloured ball pen refills.  Also bought at Dasara Exhibition in the late 60s.

Yet another toy from the Exhibition bought for ten paise in about 1970.  It produces a shrill and loud 'tic-toc' when the flat piece is pressed in and left.  Extremely popular toy.  The eardrums hummed in pain when friends stealthily came and pressed it very close to the ear. 

I have featured most of the Exhibition-bought toys in the 'Dasara Exhibition' blogpost. [click]  This was another very good toy to play. Just a good rubber band was needed to make it work well.

A key chain with my name on it in gold letters!  A gift from my late aunt.  More of it is written on the other blogpost.

Burmah Shell Petrol Bunks were common in our city.  This is a gift from my friend Ashok, the grandson of famous novelist 'Vani' who lived opposite our house.  His uncle had a lot of these, but I never knew why there were so many.  Ashok had given me two and both of them are in tact.  One is in use. 1970 or thereabouts.

Meccano Set  - above, collage picture of instruction manual.  Below, pieces that have survived 4 decades. 

And stored in a smaller box of K.R.Mills, may be banians bought for a then young me.

I recently wrote a separate post on this memorable book.  See here: [Click].

This itself is a box.  Still, I include in the 'shoebox'!  Aluminium boxes for carrying school books was a fashion in 1968-70.  That is mine, pestered and got from my grandfather. It is serving as a container for homoeo pills now.  Those who carried these boxes to the class were 'executives' - in the view of others, or so we thought!   :)

Panama Cigarette box.  They may be short duration special offers. They were very popular in the late 60s.  My father did not smoke but he acquired from someone and used to keep small coins as savings in this.

I will show how my handwriting was at a very young age.  That is a small diary gifted by an uncle.  

See who he was.  1966. 

..."and was laid to rest in Grayfrairs churchyard..." This was a sentence from an English lesson 'Grayfrairs Bobby' [a dog] from Class Two.  I used to write this to check my pen.  Somehow this part of the sentence has stuck in my mind.  I now learn [from browsing for this post] that the spelling is 'Grayfriars' and that this is a popular story of a terrier dog!  It was a real story.  Read this - very interesting: [Click]

Click to read my middle school writing.

Addition/Subtraction.... this served as my scribble book for many years!

See.

This is much earlier.  My grandfather writes the questions from the lessons on the top right. My script is easily identifiable. 

80% of these are from my marble-playing times.  A few are worn out as can be seen.  My elder streetmate who lived in the opposite house had actually won 500 or 600 marbles.  His name is Ganapathy. We used to envy him.  He was a sure shot.  I lost many to his great talent.  For satisfaction, I used to buy the marbles at a shop at Devaraja Market on Sayyaji Rao Road, next to Komala Bakery. 1960s and early 70s.  For ten paise, we got ten marbles. Later I used to buy nails for my cricket boots in the same shop in the early 80s. Thereafter the shop was closed as the Shetty owner probably had got old.

High school. Tenth Std.  I wanted to copy Kariappa's Motor Bus.  A motor was pestered and got for Rupees fifteen [large sum in 1972-73].  Was successful to some extent and even managed to show it in the 'Science Exhibition' in 1973.  The leaflet is in tact.  The shaft and coil survived....... but not its body. The shaft is seen in the picture below - on the left. 

This was another silly toy I had bought in about 1974. But I had used it as a calling bell! 

This is the second toy motor I bought in 1976-77 or so.  I had made an improvised bus using gears. 

This is another very memorable toy I made for the sake of old memories.  Read about it in a separate post here: [Click]

Both are not my tops.  The one on the left, landed dangerously in front of our door from somewhere and fortunately it did not hurt anyone.  When I heard its sound, I went out and saw this top but none were in the street!  It remains a mystery.  None came after it either. I tried to play it, but it was ugly as it was 'top-heavy'!  The smaller one is with me for many years and I cannot remember its history.   This is the design we bought and they had good centre of gravity. 

Mysore Dasara Exhibition purchase.  Cannot remember the cost. It is the same size as the 20-paisa coin in brass.  It was the same design as that but plain on the other side. A key chain - Mahatma Gandhi Birth Centenary, 1969.  It was popular in those times. 

Tweezers I had bought for zoology dissection in Class 11 and 12 [Pre-University years].  Still in use for various things.

This is the thimble we were made to buy [also needle and thread] by our 'Work Experience' Teacher, MKG at Sarada Vilas High School [1972].  The skills he showed us in those days have been so handy even now.  

Two special key chains given by my wife.  One is watch-like- to open at the back.

The other one is even more special.  It has a cartoon strip folded into a tiny book form.  When the tab is pulled, the strip spreads.  Russian product.

Thanks for the time at least scrolling up to here!!   

There are some more, but that will be in Part 2. 

Winking Woman 3D Postcard

In the late 1960s, 3D postcards from Japan had conquered the Indian attraction. It was a great innovation at that time. The lady in the picture winks when the angle of view is slightly altered.  I came to know while web-browsing to gather some stuff for this post that this is made using a process, 3D lenticular printing [click].  The beauty of this was also the illusion of depth.  The photo-card was a gift to my late aunt by her niece. 

I had put it in a photo frame for a number of years.  I had to cut a few millimetres of the card at the bottom to fit the frame.  The link I have provided above gives some information on how these cards are made.  It is a very intelligent process.  At the time of posting this, I also found out that someone is selling this on eBay for close to eight US dollars, 40+ years on! 

In the early 70s, I vividly remember that my late aunt had bought this for me for one rupee and fifty paisa.I bought a 3D keychain at Bangalore railway station before boarding the Mysore train.  Observe the acrobat turning the rings in the legs and hand and the juggling balls. This is another cherished curio in the 'shoebox'.

3D postage stamps were issued by some countries, but Bhutan was the first to issue it in 1962. 

A small tribute to Shirley

I had been posting images from my Yarden on Dave's Garden [DG], be it flowers, birds or insects, for some years before.  There was one person using the screen name as 'scooterbug' who was also taking part in the discussion forums where I had posted images.  I had come to know that the person was Shirley, the same name as that of my earliest primary school teacher of decades ago.  

One day, in September 2006, she sent me this message on the internal mail at DG: 

Hiya Dinu ,

is the address listed here in the 'Members Address Exchange' your current addie ?

~ ~ ~ S

There was a move to register all the members' addresses on DG at that time.  She had found it.  When I confirmed to her, she said she was ordering a book for me online.  So I gave my office address, surprised, delighted and moved by her gesture.  She was sitting half way round the earth in the United States and had ordered a book from an Indian supplier!  Book pictured above.  The book was delivered at my desk two weeks later and I did not know how to acknowledge her.  She had not told what it was about.  Now the book I was actually looking for, which she did not know, was sitting in my hands!  She had gauged my interest in birds from the forums. So she had decided to choose this for me!  

This is why I have held DG in high esteem also because it has members as generous, kind and helpful to others as Shirley and Ursula.  There are many others who I have heard of.   Shirley knew me only on those discussion forums and she was coming forward on her own to gift me with that!  What we receive, must be transferred to someone and this cycle must go on. Ursula, of whom I have already mentioned in my earlier posts, called this as 'pay forward'. 

Late in December 2012, I got the news that Shirley was no more.  She had left us on 18th December and the previous day was her birthday. It was really shocking news.  One member got to know that it was due to a heart attack.  I checked her facebook page and found that her last posting there was on 17th.  I had posted this screen shot image on DG in the 'Memory Garden' forum where the sad news was shared.

Some who had seen her images opined that she did not look that old, while some admired her sense of humour and kindness. There were a few images of her shared on that DG forum.  May he soul rest in peace. The book will be specially cherished.

***

[This post repeats in Dinu's Yarden also].

Meccano Engineering Toy

Meccano Toys were popular among the young boys in the 1960s and those who had a set of this were looked up in awe.  It was a set meant to stimulate the technical intelligence in young boys.  These toys were classified as "boys toys" in those days.  My friend Ashok in the opposite house used to play with his uncle's original Meccano set which seemed to be an advanced model as it had many parts which I used to curiously pick up and see in amazement how they were!  They were from the late 1950s I reckon.  That uncle of his had left to settle in Canada in the early 60s. This Ashok used to come to his grandparents' house esp. during summer vacation.  Everything was so leisurely and homely in those times and we could just walk in to any house in the street anytime of the day as doors were seldom closed.  

Knowing my toy-spoiling skills my grandfather had got me a junior set of a basic model available locally.  I remember there was the offer: 'If you study well the Meccano Set will be bought'.  But I had probably got it by pestering!

 I really enjoyed making various models with Meccano.   At a young age itself, I had been taught by my father how to loosen or tighten the screws and nuts.  I had made many of the models shown in the booklet that came with the set.  Out of the book, I tried to make a bus, but failed as I did not have the material resources!   In my high school days, I tried to adapt an electric motor to make a moving vehicle but the metal was too heavy for the tiny motor's low power. I had also took from Ashok two parts [gears] needed for this project for trying and never returned.  They too were heavy for the motor.  I now see that the set was "Made in England". Here, they are safe! 

I still cherish this set, many pieces are fortunately in tact, though some may be missing.  Screws are missing, but some are carefully salvaged in a box. 

This model must be 'Plano', as we can see on each page of the instruction booklet.

This is all I have managed to salvage. 

This box has little screws.

I looked up Wiki for more information on 'Meccano'. [click].  It was invented by Frank Hornby in 1901. The link also revealed some clue about an old picture in our album.  This is about some Meccano Club. There is mention about this club in the link.  I had been wondering about it.  Both my uncle as well as Ashok's I mentioned above are in this among some noted personalities of the city.  

My uncle and Ashok's uncle Kittani are seated front row with garlands towards the left.  In the centre with garlands are three noted personalities of the city. Sirdar K.Basavaraj  Urs [who was also a founder member of Rotary Club along with my grandfather], M.Madhava Shenoy [of Mangalore Ganesh Beedi fame] and Dr.P.R.Sitaram [Seetaraghava Vaidyashala - Ayurvedic medicines].  There is also another man with folded hands behind Shenoy. He is K.V.Venkatesh Murthy who was our tenant in the out house during 1960 and thereabouts.  So going by this clue, I must put the year of this picture, the same as his tenancy.  

So now I know something about why Ashok was playing with an advanced set of Meccano.    

Music lover Parthasarathy

A fortnight or so ago, there was a brief news item in the local evening paper featuring a retired man who had great passion for film music having collected almost all songs from 1930s, esp. up to 1970s.  His passion was for both Hindi and Kannada film songs. I had called him using the phone number provided at the article.  Today, I decided to meet him because my interest too was in the songs of the same period.  I would like to call it as 'the melody era'. 

I have only a small collection, nothing compared to this sexagenarian's dedicated effort extending to decades.  So I wanted to show him how I pursued my passion. I had taken my book in which I have listed songs in my collection of cassette tapes.  During the 80s, I and my colleague got plenty of songs recorded by someone whom a common friend had introduced.  He had made a list of his massive collection of gramophone plates, also of the same tastes - 1930s to 70s and even the latest at the time, the early 80s.  He charged a nominal fee for recording.  We had to indicate the serial numbers from the list and the songs would be accommodated in the tapes we gave.  Usually, the wife of the factory-working man did the recording in her spare time as she stayed at home. That way, we got many of only the chosen best songs of different singers.  We got them on good quality tapes though the pre-recorded ones were starting to get available on the shop counters, at a time when the gramophone plates were paving way for the cassette tape revolution.  

My small collection of cassette tapes.  The cassette tape era is also now paving way for the electronic era - CDs and flash drives!

When he looked at my book, he said it was a good collection and I requested him to fill gaps in the list.  I had left blanks for some film names and in some places the year of release of that film.  From a free flowing memory, he kindly obliged by filling up without blinking.... 1943, 1935..... and so on and he was so sure that he even made a couple of corrections!  That showed how immersed he was in his hobby!  Hats off!

His name is Parthasarathy. While I was visiting, another music lover friend of his dropped by, typically in the old Mysorean way, without intimation.  Dr.Srinivas, introduced himself as a retired scientist.  He had dropped in to record some missing songs in his collection from Parthasarathy's.  He had his laptop for this.  I  watched in awe as they reeled out names of films, directors, singers and years from the earliest period, as they were their relatives or family events!  They seemed to know such details through and through!

How easy it is now to transfer data!  In his earlier days, Parthasarathy used cassette tapes to record film songs aired on the radio, esp. from  Radio Ceylon [now Sri Lanka].  It appears that he sold off 8 different radios to get better ones that helped him in recording until he got a rare 10-band radio which too he sold off when songs in cassette tapes became easily available.

He knows which songs are missing from his collection - he is always looking around everywhere and is hell bent on getting them somehow!  Such is his treasure, now in Compact Discs, that many from the film industry have come to take his help with regard to vintage references!  

He happily posed for me beside his treasure.  He has made arrangements with separate music systems in 3 places of his house!  This is one of them. Loud speakers are erected on the wall, just out of the top of picture here. 

And I must add that this morning, his brief interview also had been aired on the local radio.  Before I left, he picked out an extra CD containing some 70 songs of Hemant Kumar and Manna Dey, my favourite singers.  He said he was also a great admirer of Hemant Kumar.  He chose one from his magnificent collection of many rare songs of this unique singer with the enthusiasm of a youngster, said 'just listen to this.... how melodious it is!'  Because of sheer melody they have become collectibles!

Two cherished little gifts

This is a picture from 1957, cropped from the group photo and they had been married for 16 years then, at the very house this post is being made!  That is my elder paternal aunt and her husband.  They lived in Bangalore as he was employed in the Police dept. there.  He also had the rare honour of getting an award from the Governor of the state for his great services. 

In the 1960s I used to be sent for short stays at their house during vacations and the affectionate way she took care of me is unforgettable.  She used to have the discipline that was befitting of a police official's wife and the daughter of a great disciplinarian, my beloved grandfather. There are some sweet little memories of that small rented outhouse they lived at a place close to 'Tata Silk Farm' and Nagasandra Circle, but they may come up in another post.  

Aside from all those happy memories, I still cherish her two little gifts.  One is a key-chain and the other is a little Webster Dictionary.

Tell me what is in?

You are right, that's The Little Webster!

For the first time, I measured its dimensions.  It is a mere 1.9 x 1.3 x 0.6 inches and contains 640 pages. 

She signs as 'atthae' means aunt.  

 I used to consult it in the 70s as I had kept handy in my desk draw.  It sufficed then.

Yesterday, I decided it deserved a nice cover. So I cut out a card and made a tiny box.

There you are, box is ready. 

The little book fits in perfectly. 

This will be kept in my 'shoe box'. This shoe box thing I read about in some newspaper article and realized I needed to start one.  I still wonder why it is a shoe box and not other boxes!  But presently, my shoe box is a vintage K.R.Mills 'banian box' [vest box]. Here it is:

Now the second item which I had already kept in the shoe box.  It is a key ring with a plastic design. 

 I clearly remember this was made for me at Mysore's famous Dasara Exhibition, in 1969 or 70.  I think the little Webster too was bought in some book stall there.  Embossing any name on plastic using heat was new then.  It was such at thrill at that time to have our names printed!  They are in golden letters and so are the memories of this lovable aunt who did not live beyond 1971. 

Higgins Bhagavatar

I read a blogpost by the prolific blogger, Mr.Abraham Tharakan, [click for bloglink] about his dancer-grand daughter Susan. Somehow I recalled J.B.Higgins.

This name was very popular in the 1960s and early 70s in the Carnatic Music arena.  He was unique because of he was an American singing Carnatic Classical Music with amazing proficiency.

One of Higgins' famous renditions "Krishnaa Nee Beganay Baaro," [Listen to the rendering, 7 1/2 minutes - click on the link] still reverberates with energy and my grandmother was in utter awe that a 'pirangi' [foreigner] could sing like this!  His rendering attracted people because his devotion seemed to emanate.

Although he mostly won the acceptance of the general Indian public during katcheris (concerts), there were always the critics of his times pointing out minor errors in pronunciation. This did not deter him but continued to deliver katcheri broadcasts on All India Radio. 

His end was tragic.  He was killed by a drunken, hit-and-run motorist on December 7, 1984, while walking his dog. He was planning to perform in South Africa in protest against its then racist apartheid regime. His son Nicholas Higgins is an ethnomusicologist and a student of Carnatic Music. 

He would have given many concerts in Mysore also but I am not able to clearly recall.  But I vividly remember the several radio broadcasts of his renderings that filled the air from our Bush Radio.

Let me grab some brief information on JBH from Wiki. [Jon or John?]

Jon Borthwick Higgins [click on Wiki link for full details] was an American musician, scholar, and teacher known principally for his rare skill as a non-Indian in the field of Carnatic music. He founded the Indian music studies program at York University in Toronto with Trichy Sankaran in 1971.  He is also recognized as the first non-Indian to perform South Indian classical Carnatic music at a high level of proficiency and also performed to great acclaim at the Tyagaraja Aradhana, a very prestigious music festival in South India.

He recorded several albums and for his widely-recognized sensitivity was honored with the sobriquet "Bhagavatar" (scholarly musician). 

Higgins was much appreciated by Indian connoisseurs and his rendition of "Endaro Mahanubhavulu Andariki Vandanamu" ("My salutations to all the great people"), a famous kriti (song) by Thyagaraja (a great composer of Carnatic Music), was extraordinary considering the fact that it is a difficult kriti for even the people with knowledge of the Telugu in which it is composed.

More information about this great singer is available on the web.