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The
Indian
Museum
in
Kolkata,
West
Bengal,
India,
also
referred
to
as
the
Imperial
Museum
at
Calcutta
in
colonial-era
texts,
is
the
ninth
oldest
museum
in
the
world,
the
oldest
museum
in
India,
and
the
largest
museum
in
India.
It
has
rare
collections
of
antiques,
armour
and
ornaments,
fossils,
skeletons,
mummies
and
Mughal
paintings.
It
was
founded
by
the
Asiatic
Society
of
Bengal
in
Kolkata
(Calcutta),
India,
in
1814.
The
founder
curator
was
Nathaniel
Wallich,
a
Danish
botanist.
Quick
Facts:
Established,
Location
...
It
has
six
sections
comprising
thirty
five
galleries
of
cultural
and
scientific
artifacts
namely
Indian
art,
archaeology,
anthropology,
geology,
zoology
and
economic
botany.
Many
rare
and
unique
specimens,
both
Indian
and
trans-Indian,
relating
to
humanities
and
natural
sciences,
are
preserved
and
displayed
in
the
galleries
of
these
sections.
In
particular
the
art
and
archaeology
sections
hold
collections
of
international
importance.
It
is
an
autonomous
organization
under
Ministry
of
Culture,
Government
of
India.
The
present
Director
of
the
Indian
Museum
is
Shri
Arijit
Dutta
Choudhury
who
is
also
the
Director
General,
NCSM
and
having
the
additional
charge
of
Director
General
of
National
Library.
Administrative
control
of
the
Cultural
sections,
viz.
Art,
Archaeology
and
Anthropology
rests
with
the
Board
of
Trustees
under
its
Directorate,
and
that
of
the
three
other
science
sections
is
with
the
geological
survey
of
India,
the
zoological
survey
of
India
and
the
Botanical
survey
of
India.
The
museum
Directorate
has
eight
co-ordinating
service
units:
Education,
preservation,
publication,
presentation,
photography,
medical,
modelling
and
library.
This
multipurpose
institution
with
multidisciplinary
activities
is
being
included
as
an
Institute
of
national
importance
in
the
seventh
schedule
of
the
Constitution
of
India.
History
The
Indian
Museum
originated
from
the
Asiatic
Society
of
Bengal
which
was
created
by
Sir
William
Jones
in
1784.
The
concept
of
having
a
museum
arose
in
1796
from
members
of
the
Asiatic
Society
as
a
place
where
man-made
and
natural
objects
collected
could
be
kept,
cared
for
and
displayed.
The
objective
began
to
look
achievable
in
1808
when
the
Society
was
offered
suitable
accommodation
by
the
Government
of
India
in
the
Chowringhee-Park
Street
area.
The
Indian
Museum,
ca
1905
On
February
3,
1814,
Nathaniel
Wallich,
a
Danish
botanist,
who
had
been
captured
in
the
siege
of
Serampore
but
later
released,
wrote
to
the
council
of
the
Asiatic
Society
for
the
formation
of
a
museum
out
of
his
own
collection
and
that
of
the
Asiatic
Society
in
Calcutta,
volunteering
his
service
as
a
Curator
wherein
he
proposed
two
sections—an
archaeological,
ethnological,
a
technical
section
and
a
geological
and
zoological
one.
The
council
readily
agreed
and
the
Museum
was
created,
with
Wallich
named
the
Honorary
Curator
and
then
Superintendent
of
the
Oriental
Museum
of
the
Asiatic
Society.
Wallich
also
donated
a
number
of
botanical
specimens
to
the
museum
from
his
personal
collection.
In
1815,
Mr
William
Lloyd
Gibbons,
Asst
Secretary
and
Librarian,
was
appointed
Joint
Secretary
of
the
Museum.
After
the
resignation
of
Wallich,
curators
were
paid
salaries
by
the
Asiatic
Society
ranging
from
Rs
50
to
Rs
200
a
month.
However,
in
1836,
when
the
bankers
of
the
Asiatic
Society
(Palmer
and
Company)
became
insolvent,
the
Government
began
to
pay
the
salary
of
the
Curator
from
its
public
funds
since
a
large
part
of
the
collection
was
that
of
the
surveyors
of
Survey
of
India.
A
temporary
grant
of
Rs
200
per
month
was
sanctioned
for
maintenance
of
the
museum
and
library,
and
J.
T.
Pearson
of
the
Bengal
Medical
Service
was
appointed
curator,
followed
shortly
by
John
McClelland
and,
after
the
former's
resignation,
by
Edward
Blyth.
In
1840,
the
Government
took
a
keen
interest
in
geology
and
mineral
resources,
and
this
led
to
an
additional
grant
of
Rs
250
per
month
for
the
geological
section
alone.
In
1851
when
the
Geological
Survey
of
India
came
into
being
with
the
advent
of
Sir
Thomas
Oldham.
GREAT
Historical
place
Of
INDIA
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