Old cameras take centre stage at Vintage Camera Museum

Cinematography is my language and I can communicate only through that,” remarked accredited lensman PC Sreeram after launching the Vintage Camera Museum along with actor Sivakarthikeyan. It was conceptualised by noted artist, actor, photographer, and producer AP Sreethar in the city, on the eve of World Photography Day. Further elaborating, the national award winner said, “I am amazed with the vintage camera collection and the details Sreethar has displayed. I want to spend a whole day reading them at leisure! The advance of technology cannot be stopped. Today everyone has a mobile phone and click pictures through phone camera. Visual medium is dominating these days. But, it is very important to register its history... so Sreethar’s effort is huge. I have a request — most of the technical books on still cameras are in English. But I’m not very well-versed in English; hence it would be great if these books are made available in Tamil.”

Actor Sivakarthikeyan, who was present on the occasion, also unveiled a few documentaries including one about the ‘Pigeon Camera’. He said, “I have no idea about cameras, and all I use is my iPhone camera (smiles). After I came here, I was really impressed and I am going to buy a proper camera tomorrow, start learning how to use it, and take pictures.” What started off as a hobby has turned into a passion for Sreethar, who is displaying more than 1,000 cameras at the museum, from replicas of the world’s biggest camera — the Mammoth — to the latest and technically advanced 11-gram camera.  It was interesting to see that the whole museum was designed and modelled after the iconic Rollei Camera, and its entrance  shaped like a lens, by one of ace Thotta Tharani’s assistants — giving the feeling of entering a camera itself!