Bangalored: The Great Plague of 1898 to 2020: May 2021

Bangalored:
The Great Plague of 1898 to 2020

Pictures for representation purposes only. Courtesy: Internet

The Great plague of 1898 laid the foundation for modernity with anti-plague operations such as the implementation of new techniques for urban town planning especially in sanitation, healthcare, infrastructure, and the introduction of telephone lines. The city was divided into four wards for better coordination within which the development of electricity transpired, along with new hospitals, schools, housing, localities, and other facilities springing up.

The project aims to archive postcards from the aforementioned timeline by collecting existing images that fit into the timeline from 1898 – 2020 as research material. We will then reimagine certain historical events, events, edifices, and claims (fictional or otherwise). Over the years, the inhabitants of Bangalore have grown used to colloquial nomenclature and claims given to or about the city’s various identities. Such claims, stories, myths, urban legends, and oral narratives are ubiquitous among local histories and common know-how about the city.

We envision this project to be a dialogue between the visual and textual history, referencing existing materials (found images) and newly created images by creative practitioners. The storytelling will be drawn not only from the city’s factual history but also from the myths, the claims, and other orally narrated stories that have been passed on through generations. The timeline is not to lay claim on any authentic dates or facts, but rather as a continuous narration of the city, emphasizing the discourse around these stories and histories.

Artists, Filmmakers, Architects, Poets, Writers, Archivists, Historians are invited to interpret the timeline and contribute visual and textual material. This project will be an ongoing project, which will have stages as it unfolds. We would like to thank everyone who have contributed to the project.