Maryam Ahmed Al Mutawa, Information Service Librarian - Historical Documents at the Qatar National Library. Pic: Qassim Rahmatullah/The Peninsula
A precious collection of 65 antique pieces of photographs, currency notes, objects, documents and correspondences between the period of 1879 to early 1980s are on display at Qatar National Library (QNL).
‘Qatar Through Private Collections,’ is a nostalgic look at a past that has left an indelible mark on modern Qatar. The exhibition contains various items, which belong to different Qatari families.
“This exhibition aims to shed light on daily life in Qatar at a time when the nation’s environment revolved around both the land and the sea. The exhibition items, with their traditional names, reflect the economic and social activities of Qatar’s past and give us a window into daily life through the tools and materials used by the people.
"They also provide important insights into aspects of documentation that emerged in Qatar,” Maryam Al Mutawa, Information Services Librarian at QNL told The Peninsula.
The previously unseen private collections bring to life the contributions that local people have made in preserving Qatar’s identity, history and heritage.
Six exhibitors are participating in the exhibition. They include three families and three collectors. The participating families are Alrabban family, Aldarwish family, Alfardan family. The collectors are Meshal Al Qayed, Juma Almuraikhi and Abdullah Alganim.
The exhibition is divided into five themes. “We have the economic development theme which contains the early pearling materials, the former currencies that used in Qatar and number of early banks documents.
"The state identity theme showing some documentations and passports from 1940 on wards while the changing society theme traces the beginning of globalization in Qatar and the starting of the modernity,” said Al Mutawa.
“The passion and hobbies theme covers the important tools and objects people used in their free time. The daily life theme is showing some of the important tools that have used in the Qatari house in the past,” she added.
A pearl merchant box, passport of Khalifah Alrabban, letter from Mohammed bin Mani ( a judge of Qatar), photo of Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim in Hijaz train and an old trap for haunting are a few unique exhibits showcased in ‘Qatar Through Private Collections’.
The exhibition is part of the celebration of Qatar National Day marked on December 18, which coincides with UN Arabic Language Day. Both of these events touch on the identity of the Qatari community, which the Library is working to highlight and preserve. The exhibition is open to the public until January 31.
