Mudranbinyas

The annals of printed book history in Bengal span an expanse of nearly 250 years, commencing in 1778 with the introduction of letterpress printing and culminating in the contemporary era marked by the prevalence of digital printing technologies. This journey was borne out of the colonial intervention, with the book titled A Grammar of the Bengal Language authored by Nathaniel Brassey Halhed in 1778 serving as the inaugural exemplar to integrate the Bengali script within its pages. With the advent of colonial intervention, the nascent decades of Bengali book production bore witness to a conspicuous Western influence that markedly permeated the realms of aesthetics and craftsmanship. This influence was manifested in various facets of book design and production. However, as the tumultuous currents of nationalist sentiments, as well as the middle-class educated ‘Babu’ class, emerged, a subtle, (sometimes self-contradictory) but discernible shift in the approach to book production developed.

Intriguingly, several pioneering institutions and individuals became torchbearers of this transformation, imparting distinctiveness to the printing culture in Bengal. Among these, the Aadi Bramhasamaj Press, Prabasi Press, Visva-Bharati Granthalaya (later Granthanbibhaga), Signet Press and so on embodied unique facets of this evolving printing culture. Their varied approaches and contributions exemplify the dynamic relationship between book production and the socio-cultural milieu, exploring the minute interplay of aesthetics and linguistic identity in the evolving landscape of Bengali print culture.

Mudranbinyas, the exhibition, is intricately dedicated to the meticulous unravelling of the historical odyssey that defines the evolution of Bengali book printing. This journey, marked by its resilience in the face of rapidly changing political, social, and technological landscapes, has exhibited both mainstream and clandestine trajectories. In the pursuit of curation, we have undertaken the task of dividing this narrative into distinct time frames. It is vital to acknowledge that while our chronology delineates the formative transformations, the examples presented within it do not adhere to a linear progression. Instead, they interweave and overlap across various time frames.

– Sarnali Dutta

Download the Curator's Note (PDF)