Ken Sequeira: Air-India collector extraordinaire

I was in Melbourne, and Ken Sequeira was gracious in inviting Vivek and me to his home in Melbourne to spend the day going through his fantastic Air India collection. His charming wife Jenny, treated us to a sumptuous home cooked Indian meal as well. Ken has had a long stint in Air India from 1983-1997. He has worked there in various capacities, both in the air, and on the ground, having spent an equal amount of time in Jet Engine and Aircraft Maintenance and Cabin Crew

Ken has been collecting aviation memorabilia for over 30 years now, and has a vast collection of aviation memorabilia. He has also hosted a rich web-site (www.aerocollectors.com) with all kinds of Airline Advertising , Aviation illustrations, Aircraft profiles and Airline memorabilia.

Among the Air India collection, I saw a large number of Maharajas of varying sizes, made of different materials. Also many rare baggage decals, beer coasters, time tables, maps, booklets, advertisements, menu cards etc. etc.; truly a remarkable collection. Something really special were photographs going back to 1948, when the airline started. These are all ex-John Stroud, and exceedingly well preserved. Also a lovely collection of hand fans, matchboxes, and an acrylic Maharajah which is used as a promotional item on the travel agent counter. This one has hands that are riveted on the shoulder, so that the arms move freely. He is carrying a briefcase and is reminiscent of the 1956 (Frankfurt) Trade Show poster.
 
Ken is also an artist, and his favourite subject is, yes, you guessed right, it is aircraft! He uses the stippling technique, where you paint by creating a decorative pattern making several small ink dots. Using this technique he has created wonderful illustrations of Air India aircraft. Ken is also a gifted poet, and has published a book of airline verse, Voices from the Heart.                                                 

So we had a great day trading stories about Air India, and here’s wishing Ken all the very best with his collecting.

An Air-India Boeing 707 stipple painting by Ken