A ‘Guide’d Tour of the Past

Have you ever walked through an iconic lane, like Colaba Causeway, and wondered what it looked like 50 years ago? Or mentally debated if Sasoon Docks always smelt like a fisherman’s basket? It is these sudden questions, which sneak up when we’re engaged in mundane pursuits that make us curious about the city we’ve spent our whole lives in. It’s always a fascinating thought to ponder over – what was the Mumbai of yore like?

Robert Stephen’s exhibition, Mumbai Guidebooks: 1880 – 1980, A Tactile Exhibition of Rare Books, helps answer this question by presenting 16 guidebooks and pamphlets that capture the evolution of the city over a period of 100 years. It took Robert, an architect and artist by profession, 11 years to create this vintage guidebook collection, the contents of which have been sourced from roadside bookstalls and professional booksellers.

Talking about his fascination with guidebooks, Robert says, “What I find interesting about guidebooks is that, though the end result is the same, which is to describe a city, they are updated to appeal to diverse users belonging to different time periods. This impacts the creation of the object. It’s fascinating to see facts of history played out in physical objects, i.e., guidebooks.” Divulging more information about these rare guidebooks, Robert says, “The guidebooks in the exhibition had three key sets of users. The first set of books were designed for European visitors; the second set from the 1940s was designed for British and American soldiers and the third set of books, which are from the 50s to the 80s, catered to foreign visitors and local residents.” The bibliophile further explains how the economic and social standing of these diverse sets of users impacted the structure and design of the books. “European visitors were financially well off, so guidebooks designed for them are almost like a work of art. The ones designed for army troops are made of cheaper materials and has information that is very practical. Guidebooks designed for tourists in the 50s have paperback covers, are thinner and easier to carry around,” says Robert. The artist will also be conducting a walkthrough during the exhibition where he will share details and interesting facts about each book.

Talking about the impact he hopes his exhibition will have on the average Mumbaikar, Robert says, “I hope this exhibition expands the way one sees the city. We’re used to seeing our city at the micro level, what’s immediately in front of us. This exhibition gives us an expanded view of Mumbai. I hope it brings about an intellection expansion and an expansion of one’s curiosity and understanding of the city.” The artist also hopes that visitors spend some time reading these guidebooks, as they are allowed to touch and hold these vintage gems.

The exhibition/walkthrough will also feature some of Robert’s aerial photography work done in the city, which he clicked from 10,000 feet above sea level.

But, this exhibition is not the end of the road for Robert, for he is just as excited about his website, Urbs Indis: Cities of India, which will feature an online journal. The journal will be populated with information about Robert’s trips to public libraries across India, interviews with booksellers selling rare books and will also feature specific rare books from India. For a bibliophile, this will truly be a treasure trove of delights!

Mumbai Guidebooks walkthrough will happen on May 24 (5pm), 25 (6 pm) and 26 (5 pm) at ARTISANS’ Gallery, Kala Ghoda