Lucknow – The Kokoro Art Gallery in the state capital is currently hosting a remarkable exhibition titled Rare and Historic Newspapers, showcasing printed accounts of significant global events spanning more than a century. The display features 56 carefully selected newspapers and magazines from the private collection of Lucknow-based administrative officer Suboor Usmani. Over the years, Usmani has amassed a treasure trove of complete newspapers chronicling historic events from India and around the world, with this exhibition offering the public a glimpse into some of the most noteworthy pieces.
Curated by Vandana Sehgal and coordinated by Bhupendra Asthana, the exhibition has been drawing a steady stream of visitors. On Monday, nearly 400 students and teachers from several branches of the prestigious City Montessori School toured the gallery. The young visitors eagerly examined each newspaper in detail, jotting down notes and expressing fascination with headlines and photographs documenting pivotal moments such as the Titanic disaster, the life of Thomas Edison, the Hiroshima bombing, India’s independence, Michael Jackson’s India visit, and the deaths of leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, and Rajiv Gandhi.
Students likened the experience to stepping into a time machine, with each newspaper silently narrating its own story and each photograph freezing a moment in history. “It was thrilling to see events we’ve only read about in textbooks come alive,” one student remarked, while others reflected on the emotional and thought-provoking nature of the historical “flashbacks.” Teachers praised the exhibition as a creative and engaging way to connect classroom learning with historical reality, calling it “memorable, educational, and inspiring.”
The exhibition, organized by The Lost Library, runs daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. until August 12, 2025. Organizers have urged residents to seize this opportunity to explore a rich archive of history and bring children along to witness the power of the printed word in preserving the past.
