Air-India Collector

  • Home
  • Site Map
  • Blog
  • Collections
    • Air-India Coasters Story Home >
      • AI Coasters Printed surfaces
      • AI Flimsy Coasters
      • AI Coasters Out of scope
      • AI Coasters Errors
      • AI Coasters Colour Interchanged
    • Tickets etc >
      • Ticket Jacket
      • Ticket Folders
      • Boarding Cards
      • Misc Material
    • Baggage Labels, Stickers & Tags >
      • Passenger Baggage
      • Freight & Cargo
    • AI Aircraft >
      • Other Early Aircraft Gallery
      • Lockheed Constellation L-749
      • Lockheed Super Constellation L-1049
      • DC-3
      • Boeing 707
      • Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet
      • Airbus A300
      • Airbus A310
      • Airbus A320
      • Airbus A330
      • AIRBUS A340
      • DC-8 Air-India Cargo
      • Boeing 737
      • Boeing 767
      • Boeing 777
      • Lockheed L-1011 TriStar
      • Boeing 787 Dreamliner
      • Other Modern Aircraft
    • AI Timetables >
      • AI Timetables 6/1948 - 6/1954
      • AI Timetables 7/1954 - 2/1960
      • AI Timetables 3/1960 - 4/1971
      • AI Timetables 5/1971 - 1982
      • AI Timetables 1983 onwards
      • AI Express
    • Pins & Badges etc >
      • Staff
      • Others
    • Gifts and Souvenirs >
      • Ashtray
      • Key Chains
      • Cigarette Lighters
      • Matchboxes & Matchbooks
      • Misc.
    • On Board Material >
      • On Board Reading
      • Literature Wallet
      • On Board Stationery
      • Feedback Forms
      • Safety Card
      • Wine & Spirits
      • Menu Cards
      • Other Promotional Flyers
      • In Flight Shopping
      • In Flight Entertainment
      • In Flight Announcement
      • Playing Cards
      • DND Card
      • Passenger Amenities
      • Miscellaneous
    • Publicity >
      • Advertisements >
        • Air-India International
        • Air-India
        • Air-India Cargo
      • Hoardings - Artwork
      • Other Marketing Material
    • Calendar & Diaries >
      • Wall Calendar >
        • AI Calendar 1954
        • AI Calendar 1955
        • AI Calendar 1958
        • AI Calendar 1960
        • AI Calendar 1961
        • AI Calendar 1962
        • AI Calendar 1963
        • AI Calendar 1964
        • AI Calendar 1965
        • AI Calendar 1966
        • AI Calendar 1968
        • AI Calendar 1969
        • AI Calendar 1970
        • AI Calendar 1971
        • AI Calendar 1973
        • AI Calendar 1974
        • AI Calendar 1977
        • AI Calendar 1979
        • AI Calendar 1980
        • AI Calendar 1981
        • AI Calendar 1982
        • AI Calendar 1983
        • AI Calendar 1984
        • AI Calendar 1986
        • AI Calendar 1987
        • AI Calendar 1988
        • AI Calendar 1989
        • AI Calendar 1990
        • AI Calendar 1991
        • AI Calendar 1992
        • AI Calendar 1993
        • AI Calendar 1994
        • AI Calendar 1996
        • AI Calendar 1999
        • AI Calendar 2000
        • AI Calendar 2001
        • AI Calendar 2002
        • AI Calendar 2003
        • AI Calendar 2005
        • AI Calendar 2007
        • AI Calendar 2008
        • AI Calender 2016
        • AI Calendar 2017
        • AI Calendar 2022
      • Other Calendar >
        • AI Pocket Calendar
        • AI Calendar 1990
        • AI Calendar 1998
        • AI Calendar 2001
        • AI Calendar 2017
      • Diaries
    • AI Posters >
      • Air-India International Small Posters
      • Air-India International Posters
      • Air-India Country Specific Posters
      • Air-India Come India is Waiting Posters
      • Air-India Dance Posters
      • Air-India Raga Posters
      • Air-India Sports Posters
      • Air-India Other Posters
    • India Travel Posters >
      • India Travel Posters - Issued by Govt.
      • India Travel Posters - Issued by Others
      • Other Travel Posters
    • AI Postcard >
      • AI Postcard - Contemporary Art
      • AI Postcard - Historical monuments
      • AI Postcard - Ragmala Series
      • AI Postcard - President Bodyguard
      • AI Postcard - Paridhanika collection
      • AI Postcard - Traditional Jewellery
      • AI Postcard - Wildlife of India
      • AI Postcard - Travel Posters
      • AI Postcard - Airports of the world
      • AI Postcard - Miniature Paintings
      • AI Postcard - Aircraft
      • AI Postcard - Hotels
      • AI Postcard - Vogue collaboration for 1969 calendar
      • AI Postcard - Bombay-100 years ago
      • AI Postcard - Others
    • Indian Airlines >
      • Aircraft >
        • DC-3
        • IAC Viscount
        • Caravelle
        • Boeing 737
        • Fokker F-27
        • Hawker Siddeley HS 748
        • Avro
        • Airbus A300
        • Airbus A320
      • Baggage Labels, Stickers & Tags
      • Boarding Card
      • Calendar
      • Diary
      • Playing Cards
      • Postcard
      • Poster
      • Publicity >
        • Advertisement
        • Other Marketing Material
      • Route Map
      • Timetables
      • Ticket Jacket
      • Ephemera
    • Other Pre-1953 Airlines >
      • Air Assam
      • Airways (India) Ltd.
      • Ambica Airlines
      • Air France
      • Air Services of India Limited
      • Air Work India
      • Assam Travel (Private) Ltd.
      • Bharat Airways Ltd
      • Bhopal Aviation Ltd.
      • Bombay Flying Club Ltd.
      • Burma-Shell Aviation Service
      • Dalmia Jain Airways Ltd
      • Deccan Airways
      • Delhi Flying Club
      • Himalaya Airways Ltd
      • Hindustan Aircraft Ltd.
      • Indian National Airways
      • Indian Overseas Air Lines Ltd – Star Line
      • Jodhpur Flying Club
      • Juhu Aerodrome
      • Jupitor Airways Limited
      • Kalinga Airlines
      • Kingfisher Airlines
      • Maharashtra State
      • Mistri Airways Limited
      • Orient Airways Ltd.
      • Tata Airlines & Air-India Limited >
        • Baggage Label, Stickers & Tags
        • Aircraft
        • Tickets etc
        • TImetable
        • In Flight Announcement
        • Route Map
        • Poster
        • Stationery
        • Reports
        • Airmail Label
        • Advertisement
        • Misc.
      • Varadaraja Airways Limited
      • Civil Aviation Ephemera
    • Other Modern Airlines >
      • East West Airlines
      • Elbee Airlines
      • Huns Air
      • Jet Airways
      • ModiLuft
      • NEPC Airlines
      • Pushpaka Airlines
      • Union of Burma Airways
      • Vayudoot Airlines
      • Modern Ephemera
    • Foreign Airlines >
      • B.O.A.C.
      • Cathay Pacific - The Swiss Group Airline
      • East Africa Airlines
      • Necon Air
      • Pakistan International Airlines
      • Swissair
      • T.W.A.
      • Qantas
    • AI Collection >
      • Indian Masters
      • Heritage of India Series
      • Collection of Old Engravings of India
      • A Pageant of Indian Costumes
      • The Art of Raja Ravi Varma
    • AI Collectible >
      • Model Aircraft
      • Others
    • AI Cargo
    • Route-Map
    • Maharajah
    • AI Exclusive
    • AI General Communication
    • Galleries >
      • JRD Tata Gallery >
        • Photo Gallery
        • Philatelic Gallery
      • Bobby Kooka Gallery
      • John Stroud Gallery
      • Maneck Dalal Gallery
      • Picture Gallery
      • AI Staff Gallery
      • Historical Documents
    • Pseudo Artifacts
  • Aerophilately
  • Resources
    • Indian Civil Aviation
    • JRD Tata & Civil Aviation
    • Early Indian Pilots
    • Air-India >
      • Books on Air-India
      • Magic Carpet
      • Annual Reports
      • Staff List & Telephone Directory
      • Operating Instructions & Forms
      • Other Publication & Publication for internal use
    • Indian Airlines
    • Philately & Aerophilately >
      • Books & Journals on Indian Aerophilately
      • Rocket Mail
      • Airship & Catapult
      • Wartime Mail
      • Great Britain Postal Office Notices
      • Indian Postal Notices etc
      • Indian Post Office Publication
      • Postage Due Mail
  • Useful Links
    • Our video
    • Tata Group Civil Aviation History
    • J. R. D. Tata
    • Air-India History
    • Air India Collectibles
    • Air-India Art Collection
    • Air-India Trivia
    • Air India on the Big Screen
    • Indian Civil Aviation
    • Indian Airlines
    • Airmails
    • Wartime History & Philately
    • Youth Philately
  • Contact us
  • Home
  • Site Map
  • Blog
  • Collections
    • Air-India Coasters Story Home >
      • AI Coasters Printed surfaces
      • AI Flimsy Coasters
      • AI Coasters Out of scope
      • AI Coasters Errors
      • AI Coasters Colour Interchanged
    • Tickets etc >
      • Ticket Jacket
      • Ticket Folders
      • Boarding Cards
      • Misc Material
    • Baggage Labels, Stickers & Tags >
      • Passenger Baggage
      • Freight & Cargo
    • AI Aircraft >
      • Other Early Aircraft Gallery
      • Lockheed Constellation L-749
      • Lockheed Super Constellation L-1049
      • DC-3
      • Boeing 707
      • Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet
      • Airbus A300
      • Airbus A310
      • Airbus A320
      • Airbus A330
      • AIRBUS A340
      • DC-8 Air-India Cargo
      • Boeing 737
      • Boeing 767
      • Boeing 777
      • Lockheed L-1011 TriStar
      • Boeing 787 Dreamliner
      • Other Modern Aircraft
    • AI Timetables >
      • AI Timetables 6/1948 - 6/1954
      • AI Timetables 7/1954 - 2/1960
      • AI Timetables 3/1960 - 4/1971
      • AI Timetables 5/1971 - 1982
      • AI Timetables 1983 onwards
      • AI Express
    • Pins & Badges etc >
      • Staff
      • Others
    • Gifts and Souvenirs >
      • Ashtray
      • Key Chains
      • Cigarette Lighters
      • Matchboxes & Matchbooks
      • Misc.
    • On Board Material >
      • On Board Reading
      • Literature Wallet
      • On Board Stationery
      • Feedback Forms
      • Safety Card
      • Wine & Spirits
      • Menu Cards
      • Other Promotional Flyers
      • In Flight Shopping
      • In Flight Entertainment
      • In Flight Announcement
      • Playing Cards
      • DND Card
      • Passenger Amenities
      • Miscellaneous
    • Publicity >
      • Advertisements >
        • Air-India International
        • Air-India
        • Air-India Cargo
      • Hoardings - Artwork
      • Other Marketing Material
    • Calendar & Diaries >
      • Wall Calendar >
        • AI Calendar 1954
        • AI Calendar 1955
        • AI Calendar 1958
        • AI Calendar 1960
        • AI Calendar 1961
        • AI Calendar 1962
        • AI Calendar 1963
        • AI Calendar 1964
        • AI Calendar 1965
        • AI Calendar 1966
        • AI Calendar 1968
        • AI Calendar 1969
        • AI Calendar 1970
        • AI Calendar 1971
        • AI Calendar 1973
        • AI Calendar 1974
        • AI Calendar 1977
        • AI Calendar 1979
        • AI Calendar 1980
        • AI Calendar 1981
        • AI Calendar 1982
        • AI Calendar 1983
        • AI Calendar 1984
        • AI Calendar 1986
        • AI Calendar 1987
        • AI Calendar 1988
        • AI Calendar 1989
        • AI Calendar 1990
        • AI Calendar 1991
        • AI Calendar 1992
        • AI Calendar 1993
        • AI Calendar 1994
        • AI Calendar 1996
        • AI Calendar 1999
        • AI Calendar 2000
        • AI Calendar 2001
        • AI Calendar 2002
        • AI Calendar 2003
        • AI Calendar 2005
        • AI Calendar 2007
        • AI Calendar 2008
        • AI Calender 2016
        • AI Calendar 2017
        • AI Calendar 2022
      • Other Calendar >
        • AI Pocket Calendar
        • AI Calendar 1990
        • AI Calendar 1998
        • AI Calendar 2001
        • AI Calendar 2017
      • Diaries
    • AI Posters >
      • Air-India International Small Posters
      • Air-India International Posters
      • Air-India Country Specific Posters
      • Air-India Come India is Waiting Posters
      • Air-India Dance Posters
      • Air-India Raga Posters
      • Air-India Sports Posters
      • Air-India Other Posters
    • India Travel Posters >
      • India Travel Posters - Issued by Govt.
      • India Travel Posters - Issued by Others
      • Other Travel Posters
    • AI Postcard >
      • AI Postcard - Contemporary Art
      • AI Postcard - Historical monuments
      • AI Postcard - Ragmala Series
      • AI Postcard - President Bodyguard
      • AI Postcard - Paridhanika collection
      • AI Postcard - Traditional Jewellery
      • AI Postcard - Wildlife of India
      • AI Postcard - Travel Posters
      • AI Postcard - Airports of the world
      • AI Postcard - Miniature Paintings
      • AI Postcard - Aircraft
      • AI Postcard - Hotels
      • AI Postcard - Vogue collaboration for 1969 calendar
      • AI Postcard - Bombay-100 years ago
      • AI Postcard - Others
    • Indian Airlines >
      • Aircraft >
        • DC-3
        • IAC Viscount
        • Caravelle
        • Boeing 737
        • Fokker F-27
        • Hawker Siddeley HS 748
        • Avro
        • Airbus A300
        • Airbus A320
      • Baggage Labels, Stickers & Tags
      • Boarding Card
      • Calendar
      • Diary
      • Playing Cards
      • Postcard
      • Poster
      • Publicity >
        • Advertisement
        • Other Marketing Material
      • Route Map
      • Timetables
      • Ticket Jacket
      • Ephemera
    • Other Pre-1953 Airlines >
      • Air Assam
      • Airways (India) Ltd.
      • Ambica Airlines
      • Air France
      • Air Services of India Limited
      • Air Work India
      • Assam Travel (Private) Ltd.
      • Bharat Airways Ltd
      • Bhopal Aviation Ltd.
      • Bombay Flying Club Ltd.
      • Burma-Shell Aviation Service
      • Dalmia Jain Airways Ltd
      • Deccan Airways
      • Delhi Flying Club
      • Himalaya Airways Ltd
      • Hindustan Aircraft Ltd.
      • Indian National Airways
      • Indian Overseas Air Lines Ltd – Star Line
      • Jodhpur Flying Club
      • Juhu Aerodrome
      • Jupitor Airways Limited
      • Kalinga Airlines
      • Kingfisher Airlines
      • Maharashtra State
      • Mistri Airways Limited
      • Orient Airways Ltd.
      • Tata Airlines & Air-India Limited >
        • Baggage Label, Stickers & Tags
        • Aircraft
        • Tickets etc
        • TImetable
        • In Flight Announcement
        • Route Map
        • Poster
        • Stationery
        • Reports
        • Airmail Label
        • Advertisement
        • Misc.
      • Varadaraja Airways Limited
      • Civil Aviation Ephemera
    • Other Modern Airlines >
      • East West Airlines
      • Elbee Airlines
      • Huns Air
      • Jet Airways
      • ModiLuft
      • NEPC Airlines
      • Pushpaka Airlines
      • Union of Burma Airways
      • Vayudoot Airlines
      • Modern Ephemera
    • Foreign Airlines >
      • B.O.A.C.
      • Cathay Pacific - The Swiss Group Airline
      • East Africa Airlines
      • Necon Air
      • Pakistan International Airlines
      • Swissair
      • T.W.A.
      • Qantas
    • AI Collection >
      • Indian Masters
      • Heritage of India Series
      • Collection of Old Engravings of India
      • A Pageant of Indian Costumes
      • The Art of Raja Ravi Varma
    • AI Collectible >
      • Model Aircraft
      • Others
    • AI Cargo
    • Route-Map
    • Maharajah
    • AI Exclusive
    • AI General Communication
    • Galleries >
      • JRD Tata Gallery >
        • Photo Gallery
        • Philatelic Gallery
      • Bobby Kooka Gallery
      • John Stroud Gallery
      • Maneck Dalal Gallery
      • Picture Gallery
      • AI Staff Gallery
      • Historical Documents
    • Pseudo Artifacts
  • Aerophilately
  • Resources
    • Indian Civil Aviation
    • JRD Tata & Civil Aviation
    • Early Indian Pilots
    • Air-India >
      • Books on Air-India
      • Magic Carpet
      • Annual Reports
      • Staff List & Telephone Directory
      • Operating Instructions & Forms
      • Other Publication & Publication for internal use
    • Indian Airlines
    • Philately & Aerophilately >
      • Books & Journals on Indian Aerophilately
      • Rocket Mail
      • Airship & Catapult
      • Wartime Mail
      • Great Britain Postal Office Notices
      • Indian Postal Notices etc
      • Indian Post Office Publication
      • Postage Due Mail
  • Useful Links
    • Our video
    • Tata Group Civil Aviation History
    • J. R. D. Tata
    • Air-India History
    • Air India Collectibles
    • Air-India Art Collection
    • Air-India Trivia
    • Air India on the Big Screen
    • Indian Civil Aviation
    • Indian Airlines
    • Airmails
    • Wartime History & Philately
    • Youth Philately
  • Contact us

Making of the iconic Air-India Maharajah

23/6/2021

0 Comments

 
(Disclaimer: 16 October 2021. We are grateful to Mr. Kamlesh Sharma for writing this piece, and Mr. Cyrus Guzder for sending it to us, and obtaining permission to post.  We have always attempted to be accurate and factual in all information on our websites and readers are invited to point out inaccuracies and mistakes for which we will be thankful. We also wish to add that the story is interesting but unsubstantiated. There are other theories as well on the origin of the Maharajah and we will publish those as we get permission to do so. We crave indulgence from our readers to enjoy this story or simply a good yarn in case it turns out to be inaccurate)
Picture
Air-India Maharajah
Picture
Syed Wajid Ali
Hardly anybody knows that the Maharaja’s famous moustache was modelled by Bobby Kooka after his good friend Syed Wajid Ali, Wajid Sahib was quite a flamboyant, larger than life personality in demeanour and lifestyle.
​
This is the delightful story of one of India’s first marketing wizards, a maverick of the Tata Group, a close associate and friend of JRD Tata; Bobby Kooka, the man behind the Air-India Maharajah. Bobby Kooka joined the aviation department of the Tata Group in 1938, the same year in which the fledgling Tata Airlines, India’s first commercial airline service, began to fly.

​Many years later, JRD Tata would fondly narrate the tale of how he first met the man. “I don't know how many of you there are here tonight who were in Tata Airlines in May 1938 -probably not many- when Mr. Kooka first burst upon an astonished air transport world  which has never been the same since. On that fateful day in May, Mr. Kooka appeared in my office and, having pointed out the deficiencies in the Tata Organisation, explained how badly needed he was in Tatas to put them right … I decided that if there was any place for him in Tatas, it could only be in Tata Airlines. 
​
Furthermore, in those days, the chances of survival of Tata Airlines were pretty dim and so it was clear that by employing him there we would be taking little risk of making any permanent commitment.”
​

After spending a few years as Secretary of Tata Airlines, Bobby Kooka decided to give the brand now re-christened Air India, with JRD as Chairman - a Human Face, that represented India with charm and dignity. At the first booking office of the Company, located in Churchgate in Mumbai, he created “an oriental potentate, sitting on a magic carpet, smoking a bubble hookah.” 

This was the beginning of the Air India Maharajah, perhaps India’s first advertising mascot  who went on to win millions of hearts across the world. 

Here is how Bobby Kooka described the Maharajah. “We call him a Maharajah for want of a better description. But his blood isn’t blue. He might look like royalty, but he isn’t royal.”

Working together with Umesh Rao of J. Walter Thomson, the advertising agency, they created this loveable symbol of India – a round face, an outsized moustache, striped turban and long, sharp nose. After making his first appearance in 1946, the Maharajah was soon all over the world, and in the process, he made *Air India* one of the *most visible and engaging brands globally*. Fifty years before Google even thought of its frequent Google-doodles, Bobby Kooka was constantly reinventing the Maharajah to suit topical themes - as a lover boy in Paris, a sumo wrestler in Tokyo, a Romeo in Rome, and a guru of transcendental meditation in Rishikesh.  *The Maharajah was funny, irreverent*, up to antics, *but always full of India,* his proud homeland. He was a friend to every traveller on India’s national airline, reaching out with warmth and hospitality.

Bobby Kooka also took forward this “Indianness” to every office of the airline, worldwide. Indian imagery, dance, paintings and sculpture appeared in the offices of Air India in New York, Geneva, London and elsewhere, making *the airline a beautiful showcase of the country’s great heritage*. This, in turn, attracted many global travellers to make this the airline of their choice.

The filmmaker Muzaffar Ali, who worked  in Bobby Kooka’s marketing team for many years, says – “For eleven years, I was on a flight, dreaming through the eyes of Kooka and his mentor JRD. I was not working for Air India, but for India.”

But if Kooka was a *marketing genius*, he was also a maverick, who created storms in many tea-cups, in his time. He used to write for the Tata House magazine of the time, editing the last page called the “Tata Patter”*, under various pen names ranging from Pestonjee Pepper to Umslopogas, Chief of the Amazulus. On this page, he proceeded to, in the words of JRD Tata, “play havoc with the whole Tata organization by demolishing the ego and assassinating the character of every Tata Director and Official. Through Air India hoardings, he *demolished and punctured innumerable egos*, which placed JRD at the receiving end of endless complaints from MPs and Ministers, including  Morarji Desai and Krishna Menon, who were depicted in red pants running a track race with Mr. Kripalani.”

But nonetheless, JRD Tata provided Bobby Kooka with the required support throughout his career, because he recognized Kooka’s genius, and perhaps also the need for some benign humour in the midst of our daily challenges. As JRD said at Bobby Kooka’s retirement function in 1971 – “May you never cease tilting at windmills, at the pretentious, the charlatans, and the hypocrites of the world.” He also said - “I forgive him all the apologies I had to tender on his behalf. I forgive him all the scars that I have borne because of the pleasure, the laughter and the relief from frustration and boredom that he provided to thousands, and perhaps millions, of people.” 
​

This reminds me of one of JRD Tata’s key secrets to his success, of which he says – “If I have any merit, it is getting on with individuals according to their ways and characteristics …to be a leader, you have to lead human beings with affection.” JRD led the maverick Bobby Kooka with that same human affection, and, in turn, Kooka led the fabulously successful marketing and publicity efforts for the nation’s flagship airline, including the creation and nurturing of the wonderful, timeless "Air India Maharajah".
0 Comments

Air India – Changing with the Times

15/12/2018

0 Comments

 
Over time we become increasingly aware about aspects of our behaviour that adversely affect our health and the eco-system around us. Even in the early history of Air India, this is very evident. The airline prided itself in high quality gifts to passengers and business contacts. Often in the 1950s all the way through to the 1970s, these were cigarette lighters and ash trays. You can see images of these elsewhere in our website as well (https://www.airindiacollector.com/gifts-and-souvenirs.html).
Picture
Picture
Picture
​Over time the airline became more aware of the ill-effects of tobacco, and participated in a campaign to create awareness of the harmful effects of smoking.
Picture
Click here to know more
The poster itself was released in July 1977, and was ironically sponsored by the Cigarette Manufacturers Association. In classic Air India style, it features our Maharajah, and a touch of humor consistent with his unique personality.
 
Bobby Kooka himself was a bon vivant, and enjoyed his smoke, so this is hardly surprising. What is amazing is the transformation of the image of the airline from one that prided itself in promoting smoking into one that promoted awareness of the harmful effects of tobacco.
 
This story does not end with smoking alone. Kooka himself was an avid hunter, and it is not surprising that in the early years the airline glorified this bloody sport. 

In June 1969 the airline published it’s Shikar (hunting) poster 
Picture
Click here to know more
A product of the Air India art studio, this is an adaptation of an old Indian Miniature painting. This version shows our Maharajah on horseback, out for Shikar (hunting), and his attendant is spearing a tiger to death. At one time, Shikar was considered a royal sport. The Maharajah on Shikar made an appearance also on the cover of the January 1967 timetable.
Picture

There is another depiction of a hunt, on the cover of the June 1967 timetable. In perhaps the most unforgivable depiction of our maharajah, this one has him hunting using a long barrel rifle, and an innocent deer is the unfortunate victim. One cannot help but shed a tear at this sight. There is nothing sporting or manly about such a shameful act.
Picture
However, the airline did finally redeem itself. Kooka himself was closely associated with the World Wildlife Fund in his later years, and Air India released a series of posters encouraging protection of the animal species. Here are some of the wonderful creations that were to follow.
Picture
Click here to know more
Picture
Click here to know more
Picture
Click here to know more
0 Comments

Hussain re-drawn

4/1/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture

In my September 2016 blog, I had written about M. F. Hussain's contribution to Air-India art. There is a beautiful poster for Air-India International which contains the wooden puppet-like cut outs he did for the airline, and also a photograph of the wall mural using similar objects by him at their booking office in Geneva in the mid-1950s.
Undoubtedly, one of India's, and perhaps the world's leading contemporary artists, Hussain's work for Air-India must have been treasured by the airline. Very similar objects as in the poster were used to design the Air-India timetable of April 1963. This was almost 7-8 years after the poster was printed. So, it would be an understatement to say that I was bemused when I saw what they did to the artist's work in the timetable. One of the characters the artist painted, the drummer, has had his head replaced with that of the Maharajah!

I am still in shock, and all I can say is that no one but the Maharajah would have the courage to do something like this. There is one part in me that wants to smile broadly at his gall in pulling this perhaps innocent prank; and another part that is absolutely horrified at how such a liberty could be taken with the master's work.

Judge for yourself, but do remember: he is our Maharajah and all his indiscretions are forgiven.
Picture
Picture
Top left: The mid-1950s Air-India International travel poster with puppet like cut-outs by M. F. Hussain. Catalogue # 28, size 72 x 101 cms.
Top right: The April 1963 airline timetable with similar characters, but the drummer's head has been replaced with that of our Maharajah.
0 Comments

Will the real Maharajah please stand up

15/12/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Above: The traditional Maharajah in the pose we have always seen him in
Unusual 1950s Maharajah statue discovered.

Over the years we have seen many souvenir Maharajah statues used for gifting and promotional purposes. They come in all sizes right from the more common 110 mm tall, all the way up to 1 meter in height. However, one thing is common. The Maharajah is always in one frozen pose. Always with his right hand bent at the elbows, palm across his breast, and left hand by his side.

This is the Maharajah pose we are all familiar with, and have come to know and easily recognise. We have seen him standing with his head slightly bowed, eyes lowered, and gracefully welcomng us abord his magic carpet for a ride into the heavns.
So, I was really surprised to come across a Maharajah souvenir statue in a unique pose. This one has his palms joined in Namaste, the traditional Indian greeting. More interestingly, the legend at the foot of the Maharajah reads Air-India International. The presence of the word International in the name of the airline dates back to the 1948-1962 period. So, it would be a safe bet to date this one to the 1950s. He is about 100 mm tall, and seems to cast in Plaster of Paris. The statue is in surprisingly good condition, and barring some paint chipping off the base, the rest of the condition is excellent, and the colours are bright and fresh.

I have come across images of the Maharajah in the 1990s and later in Air-India advertisements in this pose, but never before in something dating back to the 1950s. I will continue to look for such statues, hopefully in varying sizes, and post here whenever I get a chance.
Picture
Above: The unusual Maharajah dating back to the 1950s with his palms folded together welcoming his guests with a Namaste.
0 Comments

    Here I will update you on additions and changes to the web-site, and other interesting information about
    Air-India.

    Archives

    May 2022
    December 2021
    June 2021
    January 2021
    July 2020
    June 2020
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016

    Categories

    All
    Aircraft
    Art
    Artefacts
    Collections & Exhibits
    Indian Airlines
    JRD Tata
    Magazine & Publications
    Maharajah
    Philately
    Posters
    Staff

    RSS Feed

Important Copyright Notice: The information and images contained in this web-site cannot be copied or used for any purpose without permission. Copyright of some items listed here belong to other respective owners, and some belong to us, while some are from the public domain. Hence, in order to avoid future complications, please contact us for any such requirement, by clicking this link, and we will respond appropriately. Any violation of this policy, may lead to prosecution of a Civil or Criminal nature, or both, solely at the infringers risk and cost.
​
We watermark images on our website. The intention is not to assert our copyright on all such images, but merely to discourage anyone from unauthorized copying and reproducing images from this website.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 © COPYRIGHT 2016. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.