Some yards away from Neyyattinkara Junction stands a home where the past resides in all its glory. This is Abey VJ’s home. Alongside his family, it houses a stunning collection of vintage artefacts from across the globe, each with its own unique story from a bygone era.
Notable among his collectables are a wide range of antique clocks, cameras, and gramophones, including some sourced from royal houses, that still play rare, unheard tunes.
There are traditional measures from across the country, alongside pure-brass vessels that are hard to come by in the market. At one corner, a studio has been recreated in its original form, featuring spools used to record voices nearly 80 years ago and even remake prints of J C Daniel’s ‘Vigathakumaran’ — the first Malayalam feature film.
A tax consultant by profession, Abey’s passion for preserving the past drives him to be a caregiver of history. “There are many groups of collectors across the globe. We exchange notes, acquire items through international auctions and travel in search of new finds,” he says. “My mother and son-in-law, who is a history researcher, assist me in conserving these artefacts.”
History buffs and school children frequently visit the house, and Abey patiently guides them through the stories and significance of each piece.
“My aim is to keep these alive at home, so that the subsequent generation can appreciate their worth,” he says, as he explains to a group of students about a chef’s kit that probably was used in some age-old Travancore kitchen.
As we leave, Abey shows us a Travancore postcard that was used as a sample model during independent India’s first pincode rollout. “Now, the pincode format is changing once again,” he reflects. “History speaks not just about life in the past, but about the way we live now.”
