India on the Line: Communicating in India’ Exhibition

This South Asian Heritage Month, we cordially invite you to ‘India on the Line: Communicating in India’ – a unique exhibition exploring the untold stories of telegraphists in Colonial India.

Housed in a 1920s-era telephone exchange in the heart of London, this unique exhibition reveals the fascinating and complex history of telecommunications in India from 1856 to 1947. Discover how the telegraph revolutionised communication across the British Empire, the human cost behind this technological marvel, and the crucial role telegraphy played in India’s independence movement.

Using archival materials from across the UK and India, this exhibition brings to light the experiences of telegraph workers – from the racial hierarchies that determined career prospects to the devastating health impacts of operating early telegraph equipment, and the surprising stories of solidarity that emerged across cultural divides.

This exhibition is the culmination of doctoral candidate Shibani Das’s Arts and Humanities Research Council-funded research, undertaken in academic partnership between the University of Exeter and BT Group Archives.

📆 Exhibition Dates: 16th July – 21st August 2024

🎟️ Booking: Reserve your visit on Eventbrite: https://tinyurl.com/ms4f2nzt

⏰ Visit Times Available:

• Morning slots: 10:00 – 12:00 
• Afternoon slots: 13:00 – 15:00

📅 Available Dates:

• Wednesday 16th July: Inaugural Event with Curator’s talk and exclusive access to archival documents. 
• Thursday 24th July: Self-led tour for ‘India on the Line’
• Wednesday 30th July: Self-led tour for ‘India on the Line’
• Wednesday 13th August: Self-led tour for ‘India on the Line’
• Wednesday 21st August: Self-led tour for ‘India on the Line’

Join us for this rare opportunity to explore telecommunications history in an authentic setting and gain new perspectives on the colonial experience through the lens of technology and communication.

We look forward to welcoming you to this important exhibition celebrating South Asian heritage and the interconnected stories that shaped our modern world.