Collecting Pictures - A Childhood Hobby

Reaching in the middle age of life, when so many memories of childhood surge in the mind, I just want to say only three words, “Good old days”. I grew up in a very simple middle class family with little things to indulge. So, I always try to find out some pleasures in the existing things I had. Two things I used to get in abundance was diary, and beautiful calendars in the beginning of the years. 

The pictures of calendars. The young mind used to imagine a lot staring to those pictures.

It is still with me. I don't know from where it came from. Most probably my sister colored it, when she was little.

These are pictures from a flyer of a painting company. I used to adore those pictures, longed for those kind of beautiful rooms.

We sisters always waited eagerly specially in the evenings of December and January to our dad’s coming home from office. Everyday we tried to find whether he was bringing any such new treasures. Beautiful pictures in the calendars always delighted me, as they were going to in my collection at the end of the year. 

A young artist. I don't know when I copied this picture. It was my favorite pastime in good old days

Anyway, collecting pictures all started when I was in grade three. I totally forgot how it was started until when one of my  school friends with whom I started the hobby reminded me few months back. One day she told me that in grade three I gifted her diary. I really couldn’t recollect that, that I gifted an old useless diary,and in return she gave me some photograph, of some unknown children.

This is the very first picture, my friend gifted to me. It was in very good condition, but in time it has lost the luster.

 That too were the pictures of either European or American children. At that time the USA was an unreachable destination to us, which only could come in dream. So, we used to enjoy any pictures from those countries , specially winter pictures. It was mid eighties, and the communication was not that much strong, and there was neither Internet, nor uncountable T.V channels, nor social media. Even telephone calls were expensive. We used to wait for letters from near and dear ones. If anyone received a picture postcard from west he/she felt on the moon. So, our knowledge about the outer world was limited. Only way to know was our textbooks, and children magazines. That’s why, those two pictures were very precious to me.

That very friend gave these pictures also.

These pictures were also given by same friend. These are actually pictures medieval age Indian Paintings. When she gave those picture they were already old and fragile. Now the condition is worse, I don't know how I can preserve them.

Typically I used to keep all those pictures, and “precious” things in the drawers of my table. I could never imagine to throw away those “precious” things, even in my college days. So, my mom gave me huge carton box, and asked me to put all the treasures in side, and tape it. That box was had been sitting in one room in my mom’s house for decades. This time when I went home, my mom literally requested me to do something with the box, as the box was really aging, and couldn’t hold up those treasures, means it was in a very bad shape. I opened the box, there came out huge collections of calendars, pictures, letters from friends, paintings from friends, and so on. 

I don't know who gifted it to me, as she didn't write the name.

I took a pretty good time to find out the things which would keep with me. 
After throwing away, many of the things, I kept the most precious ones with me, and have brought them back all the way here with me. 

This letter was written to me by one of my adorable friends. If she reads my she will understand it. Can you see the date? Yes, I've kept it. I have preserved almost all the letters written by my childhood friends.