Lanterns, typewriters, film cameras, you name it, Indian collector has it in home museum
Cameras from a bygone era. Rusty typewriters. Vintage radios. Matchboxes once used to light contraband cigarettes.
In an age of new technology and artificial intelligence, a visit to the New Delhi home of Aditya Vij is like stepping into a time machine. Every corner of his museum feels like a carefully constructed chapter of history.
The anthropologist is an avid collector of artefacts and has dedicated his life to antiquities. Over decades, he has doggedly collected thousands of items that span several centuries, and documented their relevance and the impact they have had on society.
Each collectible he has salvaged feels like a victory against time, Vij said, underscoring his belief that maybe one individual's attempts can quietly resist their erasure from people's memory.
Vij with a handheld camera made by American brand Graflex that was used by the US Army during World War II. Photo: AP
Old tin boxes and cigarette cases stacked up in Vij's home. Photo: AP
'The deepest emotion I feel while collecting these items is the sense of satisfaction that I managed to save a piece of history,' said Vij, during an interview surrounded by his collection of vintage cameras and gramophones.
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