Prince of Wales Museum - History

History

In 1904, some leading citizens of Bombay decided to provide a museum to commemorate the visit of the Prince of Wales, the future King George V. On June 22, 1904, the committee passed a resolution saying, "The building should have a handsome and noble structure befitting the site selected, and in keeping with the best style of local architecture". The foundation stone was laid by the Prince of Wales on the 11 November 1905 and the museum was formally named "Prince of Wales Museum of Western India".Press Information Bureau: Union Ministry of Culture (September 5, 2008). "Union Ministry of Culture give Administrative approval for 12.43 crore Rupees for Modernization of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai". http://www.pibmumbai.gov.in/scripts/detail.asp?releaseId=E2008PR703. On March 1, 1907, the government of the Bombay Presidency granted the museum committee a piece of land called the "Crescent Site", where the museum now stands. Following an open design competition, in 1909 the architect George Wittet was commissioned to design the Museum building. Wittet had already worked on the design of the General Post Office and in 1911 would design one of Mumbai's most famous landmarks, the Gateway of India."Official site". http://www.bombaymuseum.org/. The museum was funded by the Royal Visit (1905) Memorial Funds. Additionally, the Government and the Municipality granted Rs. 3 lacs and Rs. 2.5 lacs respectively. Sir Currimbhoy Ibrahim (first Baronet) donated another Rs. 3 lacs and Sir Cowasji Jehangir, gave half a lac. The Museum was established under Bombay Act No. III of 1909. The museum is now maintained by annual grants from the Government and the Bombay Municipal Corporation. The latter pays for these grants from the interest accruing on the funds at the disposal of the Trust of the Museum. The museum building was completed in 1915, but was used as a Children's Welfare Centre and a Military Hospital during the First World War, before being handed over to the committee in 1920. The Prince of Wales Museum was inaugurated on January 10, 1922, by Lady Lloyd, the wife of George Lloyd, Governor of Bombay.Maharashtra state gazetteers, Greater Bombay District. "Places: Prince of Wales Museum". Archived from the original on 14 June 2011. http://web.archive.org/web/20110614182506/http://www.maharashtra.gov.in/english/gazetteer/greater_bombay/places.html. The museum building is a Grade I Heritage Building of the city and was awarded the first prize (Urban Heritage Award) by the Bombay Chapter of Indian Heritage Society for heritage building maintenance, in 1990. The Museum was renamed Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya" after the founder of Maratha empire - Shivaji, following the renaming of the city, when the colonial name "Bombay" was replaced by the native "Mumbai".