KATHMANDU: Visuals of a century-old Nepal are on display at the Gallery H in the exhibition ‘Historic views of Nepal’ at Patan Museum from December 27. A permanent addition to the museum, more than 30 photographs and watercolours being showcased at the gallery give a rare glimpse of different historic settings and moments. Meanwhile the presence of some recent photos of the same places provides a comparative view of the cityscapes then and now.

“We have complied these century-old photos and paintings of historic significance by collecting them from various sources,” said the gallery in-charge Suresh Man Lakhe adding, “We have also managed to keep some of the recent photos of the cityscapes so that the changes in them can be observed.”

Most of the photos and watercolours have the magnificent durbars as their major subject while a few exhibit the traditional and cultural lives of people then. Many of the watercolours exhibited in the gallery were portrayed by Dr Henry Ambrose Oldfield, while the photos were contributed by pioneer photographer Dirga Man Chitrakar and Volkmar Wentzel. The recent ones are taken by L Stramitz and Kiran Chitrakar.

Dr Oldfield’s watercolours include that of Nuwakot Durbar, Patan Durbar Square and Bhimsen Tower (Dharahara) and these give the real picture of the cityscapes of that time. Similarly Chitrakar’s lens have not only captured images of places like Patan Durbar Square, Pashupatinath and Dharahara but also some historic moments.

A photo titled ‘Patan Durbar Square’ by Chitrakar portrays a festive occasion in front of the palace where a pond dedicated to Prime Minister Chandra Shumsher’s first rani (queen) was built. ‘Car Transport in Nepal, 1948’ is a very interesting photo by Wentzel which shows some 80 men carrying a Mercedes Benz with the help of long wooden poles heavier than the car itself. The car was gifted to King Tribhuvan by Adolf Hitler, and is now at the Narayanhiti Palace Museum.

With a series of photos and watercolours on ‘Bhimsen Tower (Dharahara)’ depicting its state from the time of its construction in 1826 till today one can get to know the changes the tower has gone through.

The watercolours in exhibition date back to 1850s while the photos were taken during the first half of the 20th century.