Rare stamps from Hyderabad to be on display at new exhibition

Over 150 rare postage stamps from the Ewari collection that dates back to Nawab Iqbal Hussain Khan, the postmaster general under the seventh Nizam of Hyderabad, will be on display at a new exhibition. "Property of a Gentleman, Stamps from the Nizam of Hyderabad's Dominions", by the Gujral Foundation, will feature rare examples of original postage stamps from Hyderabad ranging from individual stamps to entire stamp sheets.

It will also showcase valuable and related ephemera such as original letters, postcards, revenue stamps of the region, erroneous stamps, seals and monograms. Curated by Pramod Kumar KG, managing director of Eka Archiving, the show set to open on Saturday, aims at "exploring an aspect of Hyderabad's history that has seldom been given the attention it deserves".

The fortnight long exhibition will celebrate the postage stamp as a vital remnant of a bygone era, particularly in the present time of rapid technological changes. Some of the major draws include the first stamp of Hyderabad (1869), the commemorative pictorial stamp (1931), King George VI series (1937) and Post and postage stamp (1905).

"The Ewari family philately collection has a deep personal connect with Hyderabad. The genesis of the Collection begins with the legacy of their grandfather, Nawab Iqbal Hussain Khan the Post Master General in the government of the 7th Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan. "The Collection today consists of more than 3 million stamps and includes unusual and representative pieces from across the former Indian Princely States," Kumar said.

The show will also highlight how from their original role as payments to help transfer messages, stamps were also used to facilitate revenue collection, taxation and served other fiscal purposes. The collection also includes the extraordinary Penny Black (the first adhesive postage stamp in the world), as well as exceptional stamps issued in Hyderabad to commemorate the victory of the Allied Powers in the Second World War. The exhibition is set to continue till March 24 at Bikaner House here.

(With inputs from agencies.)