Albert Hall meseum Jaipur Rajasthan India

*Albert Hall Museum*

The Albert Hall Museum in Jaipur is the oldest museum of the state and functions as the state museum of Rajasthan, India. The building is situated in Ram Niwas garden outside the city wall opposite New gate and is a fine example of Indo-Saracenic architecture. It is also called the Government Central Museum. It was considered one of the best 19th century museums for the variety of its collections. It was renovated in 2008 and reopened as and one of the most advanced museums in India.

*History*

The building was designed by Samuel Swinton Jacob, assisted by Mir Tujumool Hoosein, and was opened as public museum in 1887. Maharaja Ram Singh initially wanted this building to be a town hall, but his successor, Madho Singh II, decided it should be a museum for the art of Jaipur and included as part of the new Ram Nivas Garden.

It is named after King Edward VII (Albert Edward), during whose visit to the city as the Prince of Wales its foundation stone was laid, on 6 February 1876.[1] The museums founders collected the best exampples of many crafts and sometimes even got some pieces manufactured. Colonel Tomas H. Hendley was given the responsibility of curating the collection. Maharaja amd Hendley were helped in realisation of their vision by a young engineer, Samuel swinton Jacob, who was heading the Public Works department. "Hendley's meticulously compiled ledger-entry of every collected item is the backbone of our inventory and an important source material to this day."[2]

Albert Hall Museum grew out of an industrial crafts collection that Hendley had pit together for the grand Jaipur Exhibition of 1883.[3] Thie precious collection was housed in the magnificent building called Albert Hall. Hendley introduced the appointment of guides and demonstrators to conduct informed tours, a pioneering inititaive that was adopted by museums worldwide.[4] Rajasthan was under princely rule and the practice of purdah (veil) for women was widespread in the region. In this context, it is worth noting that every Friday was reserved for women visitors.[5] For many such innovative museum practices, Albert Hall became famous and many of its features were highly appreciated even in the West but the major attraction of the museum remain its exahustive collection of induatrial art and other exquisite pieces. The collections owe much to the vision, inspiration, and efforts of Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II and Mahraja Sawai Madho Singh II, and to Hendley and Jacob.