JOIN USKrishna Murthy has always been drawn to anything that is antique. Items of historical relevance and significance grab his attention so much so that he has turned into a collector of different types of gramophones and vinyl records.
Today, he has five gramophones and about 500 vinyl records in his collection, put together over the last decade or so. “I’ve always enjoyed listening to music. I’ve kept a few of the gramophones and select records in my office. I listen to them while I am at work. It’s immensely relaxing,” says Krishna.
Talking about how he got into this hobby, Krishna explains that he was always curious to learn the mechanism and working of a gramophone and how the records play in it. “As soon as I found the gramophone that I was looking for, I picked it up and slowly started buying the records as well. It’s a joy to watch how swiftly the records move and play so well,” he adds.
His collection of records includes those in Hindi, Telugu, Kannada and English. “I have some of the old songs from Dr Rajkumar and Vishnuvardhan’s films. They have been carefully preserved in covers to prevent any scratches on the records,” he details.
He shares that it is a challenge to maintain these records in good condition. “A small scratch is enough to damage the record. Also, if not handled with care, they are at the risk of breaking easily.”
He has kept the records in different places. “It is impossible to stack all the records in one place. So, I have some in my office, some at home, and some others are kept in my hometown in Chitradurga district. While some are in boxes, some others are kept in shelves that have been made for the purpose,” he adds.
In his collection of gramophones, there is one which runs on a key and another which is packed in a suitcase and plays the minute it is taken out.
So how did he manage to bring together the impressive collection? “I bought some of them from Avenue Road. Some were given to me by my friends. I’ve been told by many people that it is an expensive hobby but I intend to keep at it,” he says.
Krishna expresses that he wants to do his bit to contribute to keeping the spirit of gramophones and records alive. “I want to open a small museum in my hometown and exhibit these records there. It will be like an exhibition centre and a place where people can listen to these records and borrow them as well,” he states.
And he has certainly not ruled out the possibility of adding to his vast collection. “The more records I get, the better it is. When people give one to me, I am more than happy to add it to my collection,” he says with a smile.
(Krishna can be reached on svanprint@gmail.com)