State Bank Archives and Museum

The State Bank Archives and Museum is an initiative to document and preserve the history of banking in the Indian subcontinent.[1][2] The archive and museum opened on 13 May 2007 in the State Bank of India (SBI) headquarters in Kolkata.[3]

State Bank Archives and Museum
Map
Established13 May 2007; 16 years ago (2007-05-13)
Location11th Floor, Block ‘B’, Samriddhi Bhawan, Strand Road, Kolkata, West Bengal 700001
Coordinates22°34′08″N 88°20′35″E / 22.569°N 88.343°E / 22.569; 88.343
OwnerGovernment of India
Websitesbi.co.in/web/sbi-am

Archive edit

The SBI Archive houses historical records, documents, photographs, manuscripts, and other valuable materials pertaining to the history of banking in the Indian subcontinent. This diverse collection primarily covers the history of the bank between 1806-1955 and consists of more than 25000 records.[4]

Museum edit

The SBI Museum has original documents, memorabilia, statues, artefacts, dioramas and murals on public display. The museum also provides a peek into the personal finances of influential Bengali Renaissance figures such as Rabindranath Tagore, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, and theosophist Annie Besant.[5] At the entrance of the museum is a statue of Tagore's grandfather Dwarkanath Tagore, a prominent industrialist of his time and one of the earliest contributors towards the growth of the Bank.[5]

Exhibits include:[6]

  • Complaint registers of the Bank of Bengal
  • 1889 Notes of the Banks of Bengal
  • Bombay and Madras Account opening forms and ledgers of eminent personalities
  • Pass Books
  • Instruments of Banking
  • Important Agreements
  • Scrolls of fidelity and secrecy
  • Some relics of the former Bank of Bengal building in Calcutta
  • Illustrations of buildings
  • Leaflets and journals
  • Weights and measures, swords and pistols, seals and insignia, trophies, etc.
  • Old publications of the Bank

Library edit

The SBI Library has around 5000 rare books and journals relevant to Indian economic history. The diverse collection includes past banking acts, laws, regulations, reports and commentaries which not only reflect the commercial ambitions of the English East India Company but also highlight the origins and economic trajectory of the State Bank of India. The library also comprises various biographies, memories and letters of prominent individuals.[7]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "SBI Archive and Museum". map.sahapedia.org. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  2. ^ "Learn About The Transition Of Banking In India At SBI Archive And Museum | LBB". LBB, Kolkata. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  3. ^ "About - SBI AM". sbi.co.in. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  4. ^ "About Archive - State Bank Archives and Museum". www.sbiam.org. Archived from the original on 1 July 2023. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  5. ^ a b "SBI MUSEUM: A peek into the evolution of Indian banking". www.thehindubusinessline.com. 7 July 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  6. ^ "About Museum - State Bank Archives and Museum". www.sbiam.org. Archived from the original on 1 July 2023. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  7. ^ "About Library - State Bank Archives and Museum". www.sbiam.org. Archived from the original on 1 July 2023. Retrieved 1 July 2023.


Further reading edit

  1. Kumar, Dharma; Raychaudhury, Tapan; Desai, Meghnad. (Eds.). (1983). The Cambridge economic history of India: C.1751-c.1970 volume 2. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521228022
  2. Tripathi, Dwijendra. (2004). The Oxford History of Indian Business. India: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195659689

External links edit