Banking on the past
The State Bank of India introduces a gallery of historical facts and works that acquaint people with the banks rich past. Irene Fernandes discovers more
The State Bank of India introduces a gallery of historical facts and works that acquaint people with the banks rich past. Irene Fernandes discovers more
For over 200 years, the State Bank Of India (SBI) has boasted of being the forerunner of the Indian banking system. Rightfully known as one of the oldest banking giants of the country, today, the giant has decided to tell its tale of legacy.
It has recently set up a mini museum of its journey from its establishment in 1806 till its present status. The Heritage Gallery as it is called, has a fine and interesting display of old currency notes, pictures and original bank documents of noted honoraries like Dadabhai Naoroji and JRD Tata. Though the gallery is yet to be opened to public, staffers say it will soon be done.
Downtown Plus managed to get a sneak preview into the SBIs history.
With an impressive history of over two centuries, the thought of attributing a gallery to its heritage was a natural outcome. We have a full-fledged museum in Kolkata which showcases elaborately such artefacts. We have completed more than 200 years of banking and most of our furniture dates back to that period. On realising this, it sparked an interest in us to dig out and display our great ancestry. As a consequence, we came up with the idea of a heritage gallery, informs a spokesperson of the bank.
The heritage gallery was created in December 2007 and was completed in March 2008. It contains electronic displays of the various seals of the three presidency banks of Bengal, Bombay and Madras. Several currency notes in denominations of 10, 15, 25 and 10,000 and many more all signed manually by the then secretary and treasurer of the bank have been put on show.
The gallery also hosts pictures of various dignitaries and past board directors of the institution such as Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy, Dadabhai Naoroji, Pherozeshah Mehta and JRD Tata. Besides these, original weights or tolas that were used then and souvenirs are also exhibited.
Along with pictures, a little write-up about them is provided to inform visitors. Handwritten documents like the original ledger sheets that were written in kalam dava (reed) along with the copy of JRDs resignation from the bank transports you to an era of yore.
Another prominent and poignant picture is that of the board meeting between the directors in 1934. The furniture that was used then, still exists in an excellent condition and is now a part of the banks executive lunchroom (ELR) (see pic above). Most of the furniture of those times are still there and are maintained annually to keep up its rich feel, explains the spokesperson.
At present, the heritage museum showcases a small number of artefacts. Plans to upgrade and expand this gallery are on. We have a history cell that constantly keeps researching and finding old historical facts and works, he says. The bank has not yet inaugurated the gallery but will do so when the chairman pays a visit to the Mumbai main branch. After the inauguration of the gallery, it will be opened to the public, for free.
Though the dynamics of banking is changing everyday with modernism becoming the mantra and customers taking priority SBI has taken a route beyond banking to highlight that metamorphosis by tracing a path to its past.